


Million Dollar Man

by InusSunflower



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Adult Rin (InuYasha), Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Blood and Injury, Blood and Violence, Cage Fights, Cheating, Depression, Drug Abuse, Enemies to Lovers, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fade to Black, Fame, Fist Fights, Fluff and Angst, Head Injury, Humor, Hurt, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Modern Era, Multiple Pairings, New York City, Past Child Abuse, Protective InuYasha (InuYasha), Protective Sesshomaru (InuYasha), Sloppy Makeouts, Slow Burn, Some Humor, Sports, Suicidal Thoughts, UFC, Violence, inukag - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-11
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:06:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 27
Words: 117,403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23589622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InusSunflower/pseuds/InusSunflower
Summary: Inuyasha is a troubled UFC fighter, who's quickly found comfort in the lap of luxury. However, his temper had landed him in trouble numerous times already in his short career. Lately, his publicist Miroku has had enough of his self-destructive ways. Exasperated, Miroku has decided it's best for Inuyasha to enter a public relationship, in an attempt to soften his public image. Enter Kagome Higurashi, a barista who works at a cafe a few blocks away from Inuyasha's flashy Manhattan apartment. Tempers and frustrations fly as Kagome and Inuyasha struggle in adjusting to a loveless relationship, but will time change that?Story is rated E for graphic depictions of violence, and blood as well as references and chapters referring to alcoholism/addiction, depression and suicidal thoughts and frequent bad language/cursing. Injuries in the fights of this story will be serious most of the time. Read at your own discretion.
Relationships: Higurashi Kagome/InuYasha, Miroku/Sango (InuYasha), Rin/Sesshoumaru (InuYasha)
Comments: 84
Kudos: 119





	1. "One Million Dollars"

Inuyasha smiled and winked at the cameras that flashed in his face; he turned in the direction his name was called and stuck his tongue out, shaking his head. Amber eyes squinted against the lights as reporters shoved microphones in front of his face. He felt a shove from the police officer behind him and he chuckled looking over his shoulder. “Hey, watch the shirt will  ya ? It’s expensive.” He joked, and felt another shove on his shoulder. He pouted playfully at the police officer. “Oh, I see...not much of a jokester huh?” 

“Sir, you are under arrest.” The police officer reminded him sternly.  Inuyasha sighed and lifted both of his hands, his wrists were squeezed into metal cuffs. “I suggest you remain silent.” 

“Yes, yes I’m well aware of that.”  Inuyasha huffed, and turned his attention back toward the flashing lights. He dug his heels into the pavement and looked around at all the microphones and cameras in his face. “I’ll be back shortly, as always.” He said arrogantly, flashing one of his famous smiles at the cameras, a fang poking out over is bottom lip. With that, the police officers in front of him pushed the crowd apart to make way for him and the two police officers behind him. Once reaching the police car, he feels his head get shoved down by a large, gruff hand, and into the car.  Inuyasha winced as he felt the door slam closed on a tuft of his silver hair. Rolling his golden eyes, he adjusted his foot on the back of the passengers' side and tugged his head to one side gently, until he was able to get his hair completely in the car. “Hey! Next time make sure you get  _ all  _ of my hair into the car damn it!” He made eye contact with the police officer in the driver's seat, who grumbled at  Inuyasha and started the car. “Damn hooligans.”  Inuyasha said under his breath, looking out his window as the flashing lights and reporters rushed past him. 

You see,  Inuyasha hadn’t intended to be caught in this predicament. He went into the club simply looking to have some fun and party. It’s not his fault that someone decided to get tough with him and challenge him to a fight. It’s also not his fault that the fight resulted in the barback getting elbowed in the nose and several other people getting caught in the middle. For the first time, he was genuinely just trying to enjoy a night on the town. It was a shame that it had to end like this, but given his extensive juvenile criminal record and the record he had accumulated in his adulthood, it’s no surprise he was the one who ended up in the back of a police car, cuffed and irritated. The alcohol in his system hadn’t quite weaned off, and so he found the pretty lights of New York City amusing. The blur of white with blue and red and magenta made a smile tug at the corner of his lips, and he pressed his face against the cold window, his breath causing it to fog up. The police officer driving looked at  Inuyasha through the rear-view mirror and rolled his eyes. “Mr. Takahashi please move away from the window.”  Inuyasha’s ears flickered and drooped as he looked at the man. However, he complied and slumped in his seat as they drove to the jail. 

Once arriving at the jail,  Inuyasha’s fingerprints were taken and he took a mugshot, in which he smiled of course. Before being locked into the jail cell, he turned toward one of the policemen that guided him toward the jail cell. “Hey,” he said which caught the man’s attention, “can I get my one phone call?”  Inuyasha pleaded, putting his hands together in front of his face. “I do get a phone call, right?” 

The police man nodded and grabbed  Inuyasha by the arm, and pulled him in the direction of the payphones, shoving him in front of one. “Also,”  Inuyasha started holding up his forefinger. The man arched an eyebrow at him. “Can I know the time?” 

The police officer halfheartedly looked down at their watch, “3:45 AM.” They said, and folded their arms across their chest. “Let's go. You get five minutes.” They uttered, glaring at  Inuyasha . 

_ Geez, _ Inuyasha wondered as he turned toward the phone and started dialing a number,  _ what’s that guys deal?  _ He held the phone up to his ear and waited for the ringing to end. “C’mon...pick up you stupid monk.”  Inuyasha uttered under his breath, glancing at the police officer who kept watch over him. The ringing stopped abruptly, as a groggy voice answered from the other line.  Inuyasha’s body relaxed, as he let a sigh out in relief. “Miroku! Hey you fucking bastard!” He greeted, laughing nervously. 

On the other end,  Miroku rubbed his eyes and looked at the time on the alarm clock next to his bed. It was 3:45 in the morning. He groaned, and rolled his eyes, sitting up in his bed. “What’s wrong  Inuyasha ? You better not be in jail  _ again.  _ You have a fight coming up next week.”  Miroku complained, his words laced with anger and hostility.  Inuyasha sighed on the other end. “Are you serious? What the fuck  Inuyasha ? Where are you?”  Miroku asked angrily, now fully awake. The monk sighed as he got out of bed, pulling on the jeans he found on the floor and pulling on a purple shirt that was thrown lazily onto his desk chair. 

“I know, god damn it.”  Inuyasha groaned to his friend, rolling his eyes. He tapped his foot impatiently, glancing over at the police officer who was growing increasingly impatient with  Inuyasha . He held up his hand to signal him to wait. “Look I didn’t mean it this time! It  ain’t my fault, honest!” He whispered into the phone. 

Miroku rolled his eyes as he grabbed his keys and headed out of the door.  _ Of course, it’s not his fault,  _ he thought as he left his apartment,  _ it’s never his fault!  _ He sighed and turned his car keys over and over in his hand as he waited for the elevator to get to his floor. It was always slow. “Look, just tell me where the fuck you are. We can talk about it later.” He said, irritated that he would once again have to put up bail for Inuyasha. 

Inuyasha let a smile creep onto his face at  Miroku’s words. “Manhattan Detention Complex.” He said, and hung up. He turned back toward the police officer, who took him by the arm and started guiding him back toward the jail cell.  Inuyasha sighed internally. He was  _ really  _ in for it with  Miroku this time.  Inuyasha had always gotten himself into trouble in the weeks leading up to a fight, but he had never cut it this close before. He snapped out of his train of thought when heard a jail cell door slide open.  Inuyasha shuffled inside and observed the men who were in the jail cell already. They stared at him intently, and  Inuyasha looked around himself before realizing that they were staring at him. “What? You got a problem?”  Inuyasha said defensively, growling at the inmates. 

“You’ve got some nerve coming in here, pretty boy.” One spoke up, and  Inuyasha turned in his direction. He had tan skin, and his hair was held back in a long braid. He was short in stature, but stocky in build. Two stray hairs brushed against his forehead.  Inuyasha stared down at his red eyes, growling at him. 

“Look I’m not here willingly.”  Inuyasha spat at him, bumping him on the shoulder as he walked past him and sat down at a bench.  Inuyasha sat in the jail cell for what seemed like hours. Some men in the cell had been switched out for others, some remained. Most of them minded their business.  Every once in a while,  one would come up to  Inuyasha , their faces barely touching and attempt to start a fight with him. “I’m not interested.” He would say simply, and go back to staring out of the tiny window at the very top of the cell. 

“ Inuyasha Takahashi.” A gruff voice called, causing  Inuyasha to lose his train of thought once more. He got up from his spot and walked over to the jail cell door, the police officer opened the door and grabbed  Inuyasha by the arm and began to lead him toward the exit.  Inuyasha looked over his shoulder and made eye contact with the red eyed demon and winked at him. As the exit drew nearer,  Inuyasha could make out the form of Miroku, and gave his friend a sheepish grin as his hand cuffs were taken off and his phone was handed back to him, along with his wallet and keys. Inuyasha rubbed his wrists and approached his friend, draping an arm over his shoulders. 

“I knew you would save me.”  Inuyasha said, rubbing his free hand into  Miroku’s hair.  Miroku grumbled at  Inuyasha as they walked toward his car. 

“I contemplated leaving you here.”  Miroku said dryly, and  Inuyasha slumped his shoulders as they entered  Miroku’s car. It was a nice car,  Inuyasha had given it to him as a birthday gift last year. 

“Not cool.”  Inuyasha responded, folding his arms over his chest. “Can we get something to eat? I’m starving here.” He said, looking out the window. Morning was beginning to break over the city he now called home. His eyes squinted against the morning rays, and he turned his head to  Miroku who still had not started the car. “What the fuck are you waiting for?”  Inuyasha snapped at him, glaring at his friends. “I said I’m hungry!” 

Miroku sighed and started the car, pulling out of the parking lot. “ Inuyasha your image in the public eye goes down every single time you do something dumb. You can’t keep doing this shit.”  Miroku grumbled at his friend, glancing at him.  Inuyasha smoldered in his seat. “I’m serious.”  Miroku said in a song-song voice. “Pretty soon you’re going to  lose your popularity.” 

Inuyasha snorted in his seat, and looked back out the window. “Luckily for me, my career is built around fighting people that don’t like me.”  Inuyasha uttered, rolling his eyes. “Is that all you wanted to say to me?”  Inuyasha followed, pulling his phone out of his pocket.  Miroku looked at  Inuyasha in disbelief. He could not possibly be this dense, could he? He shook his head at  Inuyasha .  Miroku had known  Inuyasha since primary school back in Japan.  Inuyasha was always rough around the edges, his homelife had practically forced him to raise and defend for himself. As a result,  Inuyasha turned out to be a quite ignorant, defensive fellow.  Miroku couldn’t blame him however, he would have very well resulted the same way coming from a background like  Inuyasha’s . It was for this very reason that he became friends with him. He realized that  Inuyasha needed someone that cared for him in his life, who would at the very least guide him in the right direction.  Inuyasha’s older brother wasn’t exactly the ‘nurturing’ type. 

“No,”  Miroku said matter-of-factly.  Inuyasha blinked at him, arching a black eyebrow at him. “I’m staging an intervention.” He said, looking at  Inuyasha through narrowed eyes.  Inuyasha’s usually pale face turned red with anger. “Now before you go blowing your top-” 

“Absolutely not.”  Inuyasha said dryly, shaking his head. He crossed his arms, and grumbled under his breath. “Absolutely fucking not. I don’t need no damn help. I’m fine the way I fucking am. Thanks, but no thanks.” He retorted, snorting at the suggestion. 

“It’s not that type of intervention Inuya-” 

“I. Said. No.”  Inuyasha growled at  Miroku .  Miroku slumped his shoulders in defeat. 

“ Inuyasha as your publicist, I  _ must  _ do something to address your behavior.”  Miroku said sternly,  Inuyasha remained silent, seemingly inattentive as he stared down at his phone, swiping through tinder. “I simply cannot allow you to be a loose cannon for your whole career.”  Inuyasha’s ears flickered as a sign that he heard  Miroku , but he didn’t offer any other sign of attention.  Miroku sighed, “let’s go get you some breakfast then.” he uttered, as he drove in the direction of upper east side. He drove a few blocks past  Inuyasha’s apartment building, and glanced over at him to see if he had noticed. The half-demon hadn’t noticed a thing. He parked in front of a small café; the black awning read  _ Cafeium _ __ in thin white letters _. “ _ Let’s go.” He said, hitting  Inuyasha gently on the arm.  Inuyasha looked up from his phone and breathed in deeply, looking around. His eyes landed on the little café that  Miroku had chosen for their breakfast spot. 

“This place?”  Inuyasha asked, pointing a clawed finger in the direction of the café.  Miroku sighed and placed a hand firmly on  Inuyasha’s shoulder. 

“You didn’t exactly offer any suggestions, did you huh?”  Miroku said sinisterly.  Inuyasha shrugged his shoulders. “That’s what I thought.” 

The two friends opened the door to the café, which triggered a small bell chime to sound, that summoned two women from the back of the café. “Ah, good morning!” One said. Her hair was pin straight and brushed against her waist, it was a dark chocolate brown. She wore little make up, except for the clear gloss on her lips and the purple eyeshadow. She wore a black hat that had the café name embroidered in white cursive letters. Her tight, light pink shirt hugged her curves, and her name-tag read ‘Sango’.  Inuyasha glanced over to  Miroku who instantly seemed enchanted by the young woman. He scoffed and pushed his friend toward the cash register. Sango blinked as  Miroku stumbled toward the cash register. “Are you okay?” She asked, innocently.  Inuyasha rolled his eyes. 

“He’s fine, “he said walking toward a table with two chairs, “just being a fuckin’ pervert as always. Isn’t that right,  Miroku ?” He sat down, and crossed his arms, glaring into his best friend’s back. He glanced over to another figure that moved behind Sango, and he strained his neck to look over her as  Miroku struggled to order for them.  _ Damn lecher,  _ Inuyasha thought as he tried to catch a glimpse of the figure,  _ can’t even get his mind out of the gutter enough to order something to drink and eat.  _ Sango moved out of the way slightly, which allowed  Inuyasha to see the other woman. This woman was dressed identically to Sango, but she was smaller, not as tall as Sango. Her hair was black and wavy, brushing against her waist as well. It was held back in a sleek pony-tail. “Well. She’s got a nice ass.”  Inuyasha muttered to himself, as he looked at her up and down. The woman turned around when Sango tapped her on the shoulder, telling her their order. Her eyes were big and brown, that sparkled with laughter as she conversed with Sango while making their coffee order. Her nose was small, and button shaped. Her lips were full bow shaped, his golden eyes trailed down to her chest and he looked at the nametag ‘Kagome’, it read.  Inuyasha was only made aware he was staring at the woman when  Miroku waved his hand in front of  Inuyasha , and pointed at the breakfast sandwich that sat in front of him. “Thanks.” He uttered, clearing his throat before he took a bite out of the sandwich, savoring its flavor.

“You good there, man?”  Miroku asked, chuckling as he took a bite out of his  matcha muffin. “You like her or something?”  Miroku asked, discreetly pointing his head in the direction of Kagome.  Inuyasha made a disgusted look and shook his head, causing  Miroku to raise an eyebrow at him. 

“Nah.”  Inuyasha said coolly, going back to taking a bite out of his breakfast sandwich. His ears twitched at the sound of a musical voice. 

“Two  matcha lattes with cinnamon.” Kagome called out, placing the lattes on the counter. Kagome looked over at  Miroku and Inuyasha, and smiled kindly at them.  Miroku got up from the table and walked over, picking up the  lattes . 

“We’ll talk later.”  Miroku said through gritted teeth. Kagome smiled brightly at him, although her eyes had a murderous look in them.  Miroku gulped. 

“No, we fucking won’t.” Kagome said quickly, and turned back to her job, making the next coffee order.  Miroku walked back toward  Inuyasha and set down his  matcha latte in front him before sitting down himself. 

Inuyasha gave him a nod in acknowledgement and reached for his latte taking a sip of it. He glanced back in the direction of Kagome, and quickly averted his gaze back down to his phone. After finishing their breakfast, the two men left albeit not without  Miroku hitting on Sango; that subsequently earned him a hard slap on the cheek. Defeated he turned back toward  Inuyasha who waited impatiently by the door. Kagome waved at them as they left. 

_ He was kind of cute,  _ Kagome thought as she watched them leave from the window. She stared at  Inuyasha’s ears as they flickered and her eyes trailed down to his arms, that were strong and bulky with muscle. Sango tapped Kagome on the shoulder, which caused her to lose her train of thought. She turned toward her friend, arching an eyebrow in curiosity. “Yeah?” 

“So, are you  gonna do it?” Sango asked. The café was quiet at the moment, seeing as morning rush hour didn’t generally start until 9. Kagome rolled her eyes at the woman. “Look, I can get someone else to cover your shifts Kagome. That’s not a problem.” 

“For you!” Kagome retorted, slumping her shoulders. “I can’t just leave this place! This was our dream Sango; I’m not leaving you alone.” Kagome said, determined. She started frantically cleaning the coffee machine, even though it was already clean. “Besides...he seems like a jerk.” Kagome added, offhandedly. Sango threw her hands up, and then placed them on her wide hips. “Don’t give me that stance.” Kagome said to her friend, who arched an eyebrow at her. 

“Kagome...” Sango started, raising her forefinger and wagging it at Kagome. She sighed. “Kagome it’s good money.” 

“No! I’m not getting into a relationship that will only benefit one person, no matter how much money that pervert offers me.” Kagome declared, her eyes burning with annoyance. Sango sighed, and started cleaning the countertop. 

Morning rush hour had begun, and Kagome felt as though she could not make the drinks fast enough. The café was crowded with people on their morning runs, businessmen, and teenagers stopping by before school. “Kagome.” A voice called to her from across the counter. Kagome ignored it. “Kagome.” The voice called again. Kagome held up a hand to let them know to wait. 

“I’ll be with you in a second, please be patient.” Kagome said quickly, turning back to the machine to steam milk for a chai latte. 

“Kagome please do this for me.” Kagome looked up from the machine, exasperated, her hair now in a messy  ponytail with small strands falling on either side of her face. Her eyes flashed with anger and she huffed, going back to doing her job. “I’ll pay you more!”  Miroku said, leaning against the glass container that displayed the many food items the café offered. Kagome glanced at him. 

“Please don’t lean on the glass,  Miroku .” She uttered. 

“Kagome! Please.”  Miroku pleaded, moving a business man out of the way. Sango looked over from her spot at the cash register and raised an eyebrow, then returned to her job, although she kept her ear open to listen to the conversation as she worked. Kagome huffed again and glared at  Miroku , wishing that he would burst to flames in front of her. 

“I’ll pay your rent for the year.”  Miroku said, causing Kagome to scoff. She smiled at a customer while she handed their drink to them. Someone behind  Miroku asked him if he was waiting for a drink. “One sec, please.” He said to them. He looked back toward Kagome with pleading eyes. 

Finally fed up, Kagome looked up from the drink she was making, the stainless-steel pot holding the hot steamed milk in hand. “One million dollar.”  Miroku gasped at the amount that she asked.  _ That’ll get  _ _ Miroku _ _ to stop bugging me!  _ Kagome thought smirking. 

Miroku bit his bottom lip and stared at Kagome. One million dollars? Seriously? That was what his apartment costed! Kagome looked at him, one eyebrow arched, a devilish look in her eyes. He sighed. “Okay fine! One million.” Kagome smiled and put down the pot, extending her hand over the coffee maker.  Miroku got on his tippy toes and reached over the glass encasement, shaking her hand. He told Kagome an address and a time, and turned away, pushing his way out of the door of the packed café. Sango bit her lip next to Kagome, her eyes wide with surprise. 

_ The fool really agreed to one million dollars?  _ She thought. Her mind couldn’t even comprehend that amount of money. She realized that to most of their clientele at the café, one million dollars wasn’t much. Many of them probably had that in at least one bank account. However, she and Kagome barely had one thousand dollars in their accounts at a single time, much less one million. “What was it that you said earlier?” Sango asked her friend in a teasing manner as she wrote a customer name on a cup, and slid it in Kagome’s direction. “No matter how much money?” 

Kagome glared at her friend as she began to prepare the order. “Shut it.” She snapped, causing Sango to yelp and go back to taking orders. For the rest of the day, Kagome’s mind wandered. What had she done?! Was it the right decision? How will her life change- besides the fact that she just made herself one million dollars richer? Kagome shook her head. No, she would use that money to open up another  Cafeium in the city. She quietly and diligently worked on the drinks, alongside Sango. She was still in a state of shock. At the end of the day, Kagome locked the door to the café, watching as the sunset was caught in the reflection of the windows of the building in front of the café. She cleaned up her area, and balanced the till. She reached into the tip jar and split the tip between herself and Sango. Twenty-seven for herself, and twenty-seven for Sango. It wasn’t much, but she supposed her distraction throughout the day contributed to the lack of tips. She stared down at the piece of paper on which she had written  Inuyasha’s address, where she would meet Miroku. 

“So...” Sango said, as the women pulled the metal gate down on the café. “One million dollars, huh?” She said, giggling. Kagome rolled her eyes at Sango. “You’re acting like you aren’t excited! Do you know what you could do with one million dollars,  Kags ?” Sango exclaimed, shaking her friend by the shoulders. Kagome laughed. 

“Yeah it’s a lot of money,” Kagome said, shrugging her shoulders, “just wish I was getting it another way is all.” She said, adjusting her crossbody on her. The gentle spring breeze rustling her  ponytail . Sango smiled at Kagome. 

“Kagome, who cares!” She turned Kagome around on heels and started pushing her in the direction of the address, “you’re  gonna go live the rich and famous life for a year! Isn’t that exciting!” 

“I’m not exactly excited about  _ who  _ I’m going to be living that life with.” Kagome said dryly as Sango pushed her. Sango grumbled and rolled her eyes at her friend. Must she always find the fault in everything? 

“Kagome. Give him a chance!” Sango said to her friend through gritted teeth. She gave Kagome one final push in the direction. “Go! I’ll wait for you at our apartment! You can tell me how everything goes then, okay?” Before Kagome could turn around and yell at her friend in protest, Sango was already sprinting down the block. Sighing in defeat, Kagome started dragging her feet in the direction. From what she had observed today,  Inuyasha seemed to be someone who was immensely guarded, selfish and arrogant. Her eyes glazed over in thought. Oh, but he was  _ so cute _ ! Those _ ears _ ! Kagome tried to contain a squeal. If there was one thing to look forward to in this mess, it was the fact that she might be able to touch his ears. They just looked so soft! She smiled to herself, “I hope he ends up being nicer than he looks.” Kagome said to herself, recalling the hard expression in his golden eyes, even as he looked at his phone. He seemed to be constantly on edge, it puzzled her, but she figured that eventually she would figure out the puzzle that was  Inuyasha Takahashi. She stopped in front of his apartment building and looked up at it, it was a towering building, with ivy running up the side of it, showing that the building that housed his apartment was old, although renewed to appeal to a new generation of wealth. Sighing, she walked toward the door, and reached for it. Before she could touch it, the doorman opened it, giving her a smile. She laughed nervously.  _ Fool!  _ She thought, as she walked toward the receptionist,  _ you’ve already made it known you’re poor! Of course, they have a doorman.  _ She rested her hands on the granite counter, and looked over at the purple orchid that was placed to one side of the counter. 

“Why does every fancy apartment building have an orchid in the lobby?” Kagome whispered to herself, before turning to the receptionist with a smile. “Hello! I’m here to see  Miroku and  Inu -” her speech was cut short as she recognized a familiar voice that called out her name from the elevators.  Miroku came speeding toward her, and Kagome stiffened in her spot. 

“Kagome! You’re here, I’m so glad!”  Miroku said, laughing nervously as he grabbed onto her arm. She furrowed her eyebrows at him in confusion.  Miroku turned toward the receptionist and waved. “I’ll take her, thanks Kanna!” With that, he pulled Kagome with him toward the elevators. 

“Hey!” Kagome exclaimed, trying to tug her arm out of  Miroku’s grasp. “Let go of me!” She shouted, hitting him over the head with her fist. Wincing in pain,  Miroku let go of Kagome as they walked into the elevator. Huffing, Kagome positioned herself in the farthest corner of the elevator from  Miroku .  Miroku followed in quickly, still rubbing his injured head. He pressed on the button that said ‘penthouse’. Kagome’s eyes widened momentarily, before returning to normal. “Maybe I should’ve charged more.” She uttered to herself, as they started the awkward ascend the penthouse apartment. Once they reached the floor,  Miroku quickly placed his finger on the ‘close door’ button. “Hey!” Kagome said, trying to get his finger off of it. 

“One small thing.”  Miroku said meekly, lowering his head as he lifted a single finger. Kagome crossed her arms and looked at him. “ Inuyasha doesn’t know I’m doing this.” He said quickly, and quietly; he prepared himself for another blow to the head. Instead Kagome pursed her lips, and raised a fist, fuming with anger. “Sorry?”  Miroku offered, with a shrugged shoulder. 

“ Miroku ! I don’t agree to this!” Kagome whisper yelled.  Miroku made a face along the lines of ‘I know I’m sorry!’ however that wasn’t enough for the tired and angry woman. “ Miroku , I’m tired, and I'm angry now. So, can we just get this over with?” Kagome asked, exasperated.  Miroku nodded and lifted his finger from the button. The doors opened to reveal an extremely spacious, and sleek apartment, with an amazing bird’s eye view of the Big Apple. Kagome found herself awestruck as she stepped out of the elevator. It was certainly a step up from the old run-down Bronx apartment she shared with Sango.  Miroku trailed behind Kagome as she walked around the open concept living room and kitchen area. The wall where the TV hung had large built in bookcases on either side of it. To one side, a large portrait of a sports magazine cover rested, displaying  Inuyasha with a championship belt slung over his shoulder, his strong arms crossed as he looked into the camera with a smug smirk. His silver hair was pulled back in a high ponytail, only two tufts of hair hung loosely out of the ponytail. Kagome smiled; it was a good picture of him. Her eyes trailed down the rest of the bookcase, where random coffee table books and awards were placed. She heard a voice from one area of the apartment, although she didn’t know where. Panic entered her body as she turned toward  Miroku . “Where is he?” She mouthed and  Miroku’s eyes darted all around him. 

“ Miroku ! Are you back?” A gruff, deep voice called. Kagome mentally cursed as she shifted in her spot. She could hear  Inuyasha getting closer, and the closer he got to them the more she was filled with dread. Finally, his footsteps stopped, and Kagome found herself face to face with  Inuyasha . His hair was in a half up half down style, he was wearing only a pair of grey sweatpants. Kagome’s eyes trailed down his torso, and she felt a rush of blood come to her cheeks. She looked up into  Inuyasha’s eyes, and noticed the confused look that was on his face. He waved a finger quickly between  Miroku and Kagome, laughing a little. “Uh, what’s um- what's all this  Miroku ? Why is this girl in my apartment?” He asked, pursing his lips together. His eyes widened as he crossed his arms over his chest. Kagome felt her stomach do a little flip.  Miroku cleared his throat, and pulled his arms behind his back. 

“Well..” He started, bringing his hands forward and pushing his two index fingers together.  Inuyasha put his hands in his pockets, waiting his friend's response. “This is Kagome  Higurashi . Your intervention.” He said meekly, smiling awkwardly at Inuyasha. 

Inuyasha’s face flashed with realization and he threw his head back in laughter, turning on his heel. “Oh, ho  ho , no way.” He shook his head in disbelief and then turned back around, his lips pursed together. He pointed at Kagome. “No. Fucking. Way.” He said calmly, and then looked toward  Miroku . He walked forward, and grabbed  Miroku by the shirt, pulling him up in the air. Kagome gulped. “Absolutely fucking not!” He screamed, pulling  Miroku into his chest. Kagome took a step back, and bumped into the couch, gripping the edge of it with her hands. “No! I don’t give a shit what plan you have! I don’t need a fucking intervention!”  Inuyasha screamed at his friend. Miroku winced at the volume of his voice. 

“ Inuyasha give it a try!” He pleaded, looking away from  Inuyasha . “Please!”  Miroku pleaded again, this time facing  Inuyasha . “Your career depends on it!”  Miroku said. Kagome raised an eyebrow at the two. Career?  Inuyasha raised  Miroku higher in the air, causing Kagome to yelp in her spot. He looked over at her, growling. 

“Um, should I go?” Kagome asked awkwardly, shrinking in her spot. 


	2. "I hate her attitude"

_ I suppose I should have expected that type of violence to come from him,  _ Kagome thought to herself, recalling the way  Inuyasha grabbed  Miroku by his shirt and lifted him up with a single hand, as if he was nothing. She scratched her head as she allowed her body to plop down into the sofa. It was 4 o’clock in the morning, and drowsiness had yet to come over her body. She looked around the small, modest apartment she rented with Sango. It was shabby, and some of the walls had stains of questionable origins, however she and Sango had managed to make it look ‘homey’. Her mind still burned with questions as  Inuyasha’s angry faced flashed in her mind. The color of his eyes, was the most interesting part of him, in Kagome’s opinion.  _ Actually no,  _ she corrected herself mentally, shaking her head a little,  _ his ears are.  _ A smile tugged on her lips as she remembered the adorable twitch they did whenever someone spoke to him, or of him. Kagome had seen pictures of  Inuyasha before, on the television, mainly shows such as TMZ or some other celebrity gossip show. Kagome wasn’t very into sports, so she didn’t follow his career. She didn’t even know his reputation. She sighed as a wave of realization hit her. “I don’t know the first thing about this guy!” She whisper-yelled to herself, hitting herself gently with her palm.  _ I’ll have to do my own research then.  _ She figured that trying to get any information about  Inuyasha from the man himself was going to be difficult, as he came off as extremely aggressive. Fear filled her as she thought again, back to how he treated  Miroku . Would he do that to her? “Well...if he’s done something like that in the past, I’m sure the tabloids would have something...right?” Kagome uttered to herself, as she pulled herself up from the couch. Quietly, she made her way toward her room, and grabbed the laptop that rested on her dresser. She turned on her heels and walked back toward the couch. 

Taking a deep breath, Kagome opened the laptop, the gentle blue glow of the screen illuminating her clear, pale skin. She navigated over to the browser and typed in his name. ‘ Inuyasha Takahashi’. Instantly, pictures of him flooded her laptop screen. She read over his Google overview. He was born in Osaka, Japan.  _ That explains the very faint accent,  _ Kagome thought shrugging her shoulders. He was 23, her age. Her eyes were drawn toward the last sentence of the small blurb, ‘currently the undisputed world champion in the welterweight category’. Her interested was peeked, and her eyes glided over to the article titles next to his name. 

_ ‘ _ _ Inuyasha _ _ arrested AGAIN!’  _

_ ‘ _ _ Inuyasha _ _ arrested for public intoxication’  _

_ ‘Welterweight Champion  _ _ Inuyasha _ _ forced to pay more than 5 thousand dollars in damages to the city of New York’  _

_ ‘Is his career over? An overview of  _ _ Inuyasha’s _ _ criminal history’  _

_ ‘So, why IS Inuyasha the most dangerous MMA fighter?’  _

_ ‘“He can’t keep going like this!”  _ _ Inuyasha’s _ _ publicist/manager at wits end with rambunctious fighter’  _

Kagome’s hands shook as she read the article titles, filling her with dread as she realized who exactly she was going to be pretending with. He was violent, fearless, and destructive. She clicked on the fifth article, and instantly her eyes spied the first picture. It was  Inuyasha punching another man in public, the picture was captured by the article writer. Deciding that was all she needed to see as far as articles went. She opened a new tab and went to YouTube, typing in ‘ Inuyasha highlights’. 

The first video was violent right out of the gate. She watched with wide eyes as  Inuyasha gave powerful kicks into his opponents' side. Kagome had to restrain herself from yelping, lest she awake Sango from her sleep. The next part of the highlight video showed  Inuyasha laying on his back, his opponents arm between his legs. He pulled up toward his chin, arching his back. Kagome saw the arm pop out of place and then go limp as  Inuyasha got up, and ran to the other side of the octagon, climbing over it and tackling  Miroku in a hug. The following clip showed  Inuyasha punching his opponent in the face at what she assumed was what they called the ‘weigh in’. He climbed over the security guard who attempted to keep the men separated and lunged for the man again. Kagome covered her mouth with one hand, the other slammed her laptop shot. 

Well, the  hanyou was definitely not what she would call ‘nice’. However, she was relieved she didn’t find anything about domestic violence related to  Inuyasha . Although, the articles, videos, and pictures she saw were doing little to aid his case. She grumbled to herself as she put her head in her hands, looking down between her feet. “What have I gotten myself into?” Kagome whispered to herself, huffing. She looked up to her ceiling, clasping her hands together. “Who am I dealing with...” she uttered into the dark walls of her apartment. She heard a door open, and soft footstep followed. She looked over shoulder at her friend, whom she could make out by the brightly colored blanket that covered her head and shoulders. 

“Kagome?” her friend’s voice called gently as she came next to Kagome, sitting down next to her. She reached behind her and turned on the lamp that stood behind the sofa. The soft glow illuminated the room, making it easier for Sango to see the expression on Kagome’s face, although she couldn’t make out what emotions she was feeling. “What’s up?” 

Kagome looked toward Sango, and opened her laptop, she showed her friend the article titles, looking intently at Sango’s facial expressions. Sango didn’t make any faces. Kagome showed her the picture shown in the one article she opened and Sango’s eyes went a little wide. Then she showed Sango the short highlight reel on YouTube. Sango winced, and gasped at the videos. “You see?” Kagome said, getting up from the couch. She walked toward the kitchen and pressed the start button on the coffee maker. There was a short rumbling noise, and coffee began to drip into the pot. “I had no idea he was like that. What if he tries something on me? What if he gets me arrested? What if he does drugs? What if he treats me badly in  public. What if-” Sango put up a hand, and walked over to Kagome, taking her by the shoulders. 

“Kagome...it’s one million dollars.” Sango reminded her, shaking her gently. “One year. One million dollars.” She stated, and moved past Kagome to get the coffee mugs from the cabinet. Kagome sighed and turned on her heel to face the direction of her friend. 

“Sango did you not see that?” Kagome asked, pointing a finger in the direction of her laptop. Sango started whistling a tone, and went to the fridge and rummaged for the milk. Kagome sighed in defeat and huffed, turning back to the coffee. “Thanks for the concern...really appreciate it.” she deadpanned, causing her friend to laugh. 

“Kagome, I assure you  Miroku won’t let  Inuyasha do such a thing.” Sango said, an in attempt to calm her friend’s fears. Kagome exhaled. Surely, her friend couldn’t be serious...could she? The coffee machine beeped, letting Kagome know it was done. She poured coffee into both of the cups and gave one to Sango. 

“Sango. I saw  Inuyasha pick  Miroku up like he was a paper plate,” she said through sips of her coffee, and looked up to see her friend’s surprised expression. She shrugged her shoulders, “with one hand.” Sango made a face of sudden realization and sighed, leaning against the counter. Kagome pursed her lips together and nodded. 

“I see,” Sango said, a hand on her cheek. She glanced out of the kitchen window and noticed the colors that were beginning to morph together in the sky. Morning was beginning to break. “I doubt he would do anything too brash, Kagome.” 

_ Too brash.  _

Kagome’s eyes flashed with fury. Sango truly wasn’t worried for her in the slightest. “Sango...people like  _ him  _ are prone to being temperamental.” Kagome breathed, and tapped on her temple. “They get hit in the head a lot. He could do anything. Don’t you understand?” Sango nodded, and put her coffee mug on the counter next to her. She crossed her arms across her chest. 

“Kagome...he’s a celebrity. I can safely assume that he’s enjoying his lifestyle, and I can also safely assume that he actually, as disgusting as this may be,  _ enjoys  _ his line of work.” She shrugged her shoulders again. “Why risk that over a woman he’s ‘dating’ to help his publicity. It’s not smart.” Kagome took her friends words into consideration and sighed, nodding her head. 

“I suppose you’re right, Sango.” She said. Sango smiled at her friend, and gave her a pat on the shoulder. 

“You’re  gonna be okay, now come on. We have to get to work.” With that, Sango disappeared down the corridor and into her room to change into her uniform. Kagome followed suit, although she made a quick stop at the restroom to brush her teeth before disappearing in her room. Once in her room, she picked up her phone, that she had forgotten on her nightstand. Upon picking it up, she noticed that she had 2 missed calls from  Miroku , and a text from him. “Call me ASAP” it read. Rolling her eyes, Kagome sucked in air through her teeth and called  Miroku , sitting on her unmade bed. The phone rang, and Kagome tapped her foot impatiently. A cheerful voice greeted her on the other end. 

“What is  Miroku ?” Kagome spat. She was still very much enraged with the monk. She deceived not only  Inuyasha , but herself. If she had known earlier that  Inuyasha had absolutely no idea what  Miroku had planned—or that  Inuyasha was a violent, and dangerous criminal--, she wouldn’t have even entertained the idea of playing the role of  Inuyasha’s girlfriend!  Miroku winced on the other line. 

“Ouch.”  Miroku said lowly, turning away from the conference table he was sitting at. Next to him,  Inuyasha sat, his armed crossed over his chest he glared into the glass table. If eyes could burn holes, he was certain there would be some in the table by now. Across from them, a demon, similar in appearance to  Inuyasha sat, scrolling through his phone. He wore a navy-blue suit, and his hair was up in a high ponytail. “Can you come down to the management company? Like...now?”  Miroku asked shyly, clearing his throat. 

Kagome looked over to her alarm clock, and groaned. “You couldn’t fucking tell me this last night?” She asked, angrily. Her free hand was balled up in fists. “I have a  _ job!  _ I don’t have the luxury of taking off whenever I please!” She sneered at the phone, saying her words through gritted teeth. Sango knocked at Kagome’s door. “One sec!” Kagome yelled and then went back to the conversation at hand. “The answer is no! No to everything!” Kagome said angrily. 

Miroku gasped on the other side, which caused  Inuyasha to glance over at him, and the other demon to look up from his phone. “Something wrong?” He asked, raising an eyebrow at the monk.  Miroku shook his head and got up to walk out of the conference room to continue talking to Kagome. 

“You’re proving to be more difficult than  Inuyasha and that’s saying something.”  Miroku hissed through gritted teeth. Kagome growled on the other end. “We have to discuss the contract with you.” He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. 

“ _ Bite me!”  _ Kagome hissed back. Sango knocked at her door again, this time loudly. “There is no contract! There is no deal! I don’t want to be associated with that-that guy!” Kagome said lowly, as she went over to her closet and took out her crossbody purse, hanging it on her shoulder. She walked over to her dresser and grabbed her keys. “Bye!” Kagome said. 

“Kagome, wait!”  Miroku yelled into the phone. 

“What?” 

“Please Kagome.”  Miroku pleaded. Kagome rolled her eyes. “Please! I promise I’ll stop flirting with you and Sango every day. Just please do this.”  Miroku said, bending his knees as if Kagome could see his pleading expression. “It’s one year. One million dollars, and I’ll be out of your lives for good. You can count on that!” It was a desperate measure. However,  Miroku also found himself in quite a desperate situation. Saving  Inuyasha’s relationship meant saving  Miroku’s own career, and his credibility as a publicist and manager. If  Inuyasha went down, he would surely go down with him. He shivered at the thought of it. Of course, he would never tell Kagome or Sango that his very own career was at stake. There was silence on the other line as Kagome looked down at her feet, and thought. “Kagome?” 

“Ugh, okay.  _ Fine.”  _ Kagome said, and opened her door. She looked at Sango who put up her hands and tapped on her watch.  _ We’re late.  _ Kagome rolled her eyes and pointed at the phone, making a face that said something along the lines of ‘doing the best I can right now’. Sango sighed and ushered Kagome out the door.  Miroku sighed out of relief on the other end, and gave Kagome the address to the building before hanging up. Sango groaned at Kagome as she locked the door behind them, and pulled her friend toward the stairs. “Sango, I’m sorry I can’t go in today.” Kagome said quickly as she walked down the steps with Sango. 

“Seriously? How am I supposed to man the café on my own,  Kags ?” Sango retorted to her friend, as she pulled out her phone. Kagome huffed. 

“I don’t know! Uh, call that kid- what's his name?  Shippou ?” Kagome said, recalling the awkward college freshman that helped them during his winter break. He had red hair he held back in a bun, and a light orange cotton ball for a tail. Sango shrugged her shoulders. 

“I guess I could text him.” She responded, as she scrolled through her phone looking for  Shippou’s contact information. She started to type out a text. “I doubt he’ll respond right now.” Sango said to Kagome as they left the apartment building, they lived in. Once outside, she turned toward her friend and nodded. “I’ll see you later then?” Sango said, raising an eyebrow at her friend. Kagome nodded her head and waved as Sango ran in the direction of the train. Kagome stepped out into the street, and hailed herself a cab. It took a few tries, but she finally was able to hail one. She told the driver the address, and looked down at her chest. She took off her nametag and shoved it into her purse. She pulled her hair into two high space buns and looked at herself in the reflection of her phone. She looked at the very least, presentable. She sighed and sat back in the car, as they got caught in the highway traffic into Manhattan.  _ Maybe, if this is done  _ _ early, _ _ I can head into work,  _ Kagome thought to herself as she looked over to the city skyline. The sky was beginning to cloud and she frowned. 

“Great...I forgot my umbrella.” She complained, pinching the bridge of her nose. “I hope it’s just a cloudy day.” Kagome uttered, as she pulled her phone out of her purse. She opened her Instagram and letting curiosity overtake her, she searched up  Inuyasha’s profile. It was a collection of pictures from parties, pictures of him working out or with friends. Pictures of him fighting in the octagon were sprinkled into the mix. “Well his media is tamer than I expected.” Kagome muttered. She figured that it most likely had something to do with the fact that he was a celebrity, who was managed by a team of people. It was very possible each of his posts had to be approved. “Of course,” she whispered to herself, “otherwise it’d be a mess.” Her eyes glanced over to the biography portion of his profile. 

‘ _ Japanese. 23. Single. UNDEFEATED CHAMP!’  _

Kagome rolled her eyes. They arrived in front of the building and Kagome handed the cab driver her payment before getting out. She looked up at the high-rise building. She quickly looked at the door to see if there was a doorman, as to avoid repetition of the embarrassment she felt yesterday. She noticed that there wasn’t and she sighed. She walked toward the revolving door and pushed her way through. Once inside the building she felt grossly underdress, but huffed, adjusting her shirt as she walked over to the receptionist. “Excuse me?” 

The receptionist looked up from the computer screen, and to Kagome through narrowed eyed. She chewed loudly on a piece of gum. “Hm.” The young woman responded, as she dug something out from under her white fingernails. Kagome forced a sweet smile on her face. 

“I’m here to see  Miroku and  Inuyasha Takahashi.” The woman stopped chewing on her gum, and looked at Kagome up and down and then scoffed. She reached for a phone and dialed a number. She stared at Kagome, continuing to look at her up and down, as if assessing her. The receptionist broke out into a smile as she greeted the person who answered the phone. 

“Hi! Um, a girl is here to see you...should I send her away? Send her up? Okay...no problem. Bye-bye.” She hung up and looked over at Kagome, handing her a pen and motioning for her to sign her name in a guest book. “Write your name there. They’re in conference room twenty-three.” The woman said, her voice again taking on an exasperated tone. Kagome moved over to the book, and signed her name. She nodded her head at the receptionist. “That’s on floor forty.” The woman added, as Kagome walked away. Kagome nodded at her again, and made her way into an elevator, pushing on the button that said forty. 

“Hey!” A voice called out, and Kagome put her hand between the doors, as the man ran into the elevator. He was tall, and tan. His black hair was held up in a high ponytail. “Excuse me.” He said, as he reached over Kagome and pressed on the button that read ‘45’. He glanced over at Kagome and gave her a smile. “Thanks, gorgeous.” Kagome blushed and laughed nervously. 

“No problem.” She chimed, looking at him. His eyes were a light blue, and she noticed that his ears were pointed back.  _ A demon,  _ she thought, her eyes trailed over his body.  _ But, what type?  _

“Wolf.” The man said, and Kagome looked up at him surprised. She began to wave her hands frantically. 

“I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to be offensive or stare at you-”, the man shook his head at Kagome, laughing. 

“No, you’re okay sweetness. I didn’t mind at all.” He stuck out his hand for Kagome to shake. “The name’s Koga. Koga Wolf.” 

_ Wow, very forward.  _ Kagome thought as she smiled at him, and shook his hand. “Nice to meet you, I’m Kagome. Kagome  Higurashi .” He nodded at her. 

“What brings you here?” He asked, “surely you aren’t in the industry.” 

_ In the industry?  _ Kagome looked at him confused for a second and then realized what he meant. “Oh no! I’m here to drop something off for someone.  Inuyasha .” Instantly the man’s demeanor changed and he scoffed, crossing his arms. She realized that she may have struck a nerve and stiffed in her spot. Great, another  embarrassing moment. 

“Oh...you’re with the  _ mutt.”  _ His words were hostile, as he turned away from Kagome. Kagome pressed her lips together and nodded. The elevator dinged as it reached her floor and she waved at him before she left. She walked up to a board that had directions on it. It pointed that conference room twenty-three was to the left side of the floor. Kagome turned in the direction and walked down the hall until she reached the room, the stainless-steel plaque reading twenty-three on it in bold black letters. She could hear a conversation happening beyond the glass door. She peered in, seeing  Miroku and  Inuyasha sitting opposite someone...that oddly looked like  Inuyasha , but mature and with markings. He looked up from the two men and locked eyes with her. Kagome pulled open the door, and  Miroku and  Inuyasha turned to look at her. 

“Took you long enough, wench.”  Inuyasha spat at her, rolling his eyes. Kagome glared at him, and he glared back. “We’ve been waiting for you for an hour!” He yelled. Kagome was caught off guard and then looked over to  Miroku , who pinched the bridge of his nose. The man that sat in front of them seemed unfazed by  Inuyasha’s outburst. 

_ The monk managed to get  _ _ Inuyasha _ _ to agree?!  _ Kagome thought, bewildered. “Sorry.” She said, as she composed herself. She glanced over at  Inuyasha , who’s glare softened. She scrunched up her face in a look of confusion and sat down at the head of the table. “Why did you need me again?” Kagome asked, facing  Miroku .  Inuyasha scoffed beside him. 

“ Miroku , did you have to pick the most dimwitted woman there is?” He asked his friend, looking at him. Kagome glared at  Inuyasha from across the table.  Miroku sighed. “She can’t even remember why she’s here!” He added, and reached for his protein shake. Kagome’s stomach did a little flip as she looked at him. His hair was once again in a half up half down style. His bangs were pulled against his ears, hugging up against them. He wore a plain black t-shirt that was tight around his biceps and chest. On his wrist he wore an expensive watch. 

“You bastard!” Kagome yelled at him, causing  Inuyasha to choke momentarily on his drink. “I wouldn’t be here if your public image hadn’t gone to shit!” She added, glaring at him.  Inuyasha looked over at her through narrowed eyes. 

_ I hate her attitude.  _

_ I hate his attitude.  _

The other silver haired demon looked at  Inuyasha . “Enough, little brother.” Kagome’s eyes widened in mild surprise. “She has a point, the reason she’s here is because of  _ your actions.  _ Had you but the slightest concern for your career you would have corrected your behavior a while ago, but alas here we are.” With that he turned toward Kagome. “My name is  Sesshomaru Takahashi. I’m  Inuyasha’s financial advisor and lawyer.” Kagome noticed the dark purple crescent moon marking on his forehead, and the dusty rose-colored lines on both of his cheeks. She looked down at his wrists. They had two jagged dark purple lines on them. “You were brought here today to discuss the terms of your contract and payment, as well as talk about your brand to the public.” Kagome arched and eyebrow, and laughed a little. She folded her arms. 

“Wow, I wonder why your brother has all the manners you don’t.” Kagome spat at  Inuyasha and  Miroku shot a glare in her direction. 

“Kagome...” He advised. Kagome rolled her eyes at him.  Inuyasha still refused to look at the woman, opting instead to stare out of the floor to ceiling windows behind Sesshomaru. Kagome sighed and looked at  Sesshomaru .  Miroku looked at  Sesshomaru as well. “I think we can start now  Sesshomaru .”  Miroku said.  Sesshomaru nodded and handed a manila folder to Kagome,  Miroku and  Inuyasha . “ Inuyasha . Time for you to pay attention.”  Miroku said, elbowing  Inuyasha gently. Reluctantly, the half demon reached out for the folder. They all opened the folder to the first page. 

Inuyasha looked down at the page his eyes skimming over it. His scrunched his face up and looked confused. His ears perked up at the sound of his brother’s voice. “What this basically says is that you both understand why are signing this contract. Kagome  Higurashi is agreeing to be your companion for a year, in exchange for one million American dollars.”  _ All I know is that this money is  _ _ comin _ _ ’ out of MY pocket,  _ Inuyasha thought as he looked down at the highlighted line with an X on it. “ Inuyasha please sign your copy and give it to Kagome. Kagome you do the same.”  Sesshomaru said.  Inuyasha sighed, and reached for a pen in the small pile that was in the middle of the table. He took one, and signed his name quickly, before throwing the folder to Kagome. Kagome huffed grabbed the folder, and signed her name as well.  Miroku looked between the two and smiled awkwardly. 

_ My, my _ _....I _ _ could cut this tension with a knife!  _ Miroku thought, rubbing the back of his head. He nodded for  Sesshomaru to proceed. 

The rest of the meeting dragged, both for  Inuyasha and Kagome. He already knew what he had to do. After 12 months he was to pay her one million dollars and kick her to the curb. He zoned out as  Sesshomaru began to talk about interest rates and capital and other financial jargon that only he understood. His head rested against his fist as he looked down at the contract. Every once in a while,  Inuyasha glanced over at Kagome. Her hair was pulled into two high space buns. She wore a delicate gold necklace, and stud earrings. Her face was clear of makeup, but even then, her skin glowed. Her brown eyes were focused on  Sesshomaru as he spoke. She wore a v neck white t-shirt and high waisted blue jeans. Her fingernails were long, and manicured.  _ She takes care of herself,  _ Inuyasha thought, as his eyes trailed down her face. He sighed and looked away. “ Inuyasha will provide you with a copy of his credit card. We have to keep up the appearance that  Inuyasha ...takes care of you. Because of this, a copy of his credit card will be given to you in order for you to go buy yourself a wardrobe.” Kagome blushed and looked over to  Miroku , who looked over to  Inuyasha .  Inuyasha looked around the table, confused. 

“What?” He asked, glaring at everyone.  Miroku motioned toward Kagome. “What about her?”  Miroku sighed at him. 

“ Inuyasha , this is the part where you give Kagome a copy of your credit card.”  Miroku said through coughs, eyes widened at  Inuyasha .  Inuyasha sighed and took his wallet out of his pocket, and pulled out a small white sleeve. He slid it on the table toward Kagome. He looked away from her and took a sip of his, now half melted, protein shake. He watched as Kagome took the card gingerly in her hands. She pulled out the card and her eyes widened.  Inuyasha sighed. 

“Everything surprises you huh?” He asked, looking away from her. Kagome shook her head. “Then what? Where are your manners? Can I get a thank you at least?!”  Inuyasha retorted, pulling the protein shake away from his lips, and setting it down on the glass table. 

“It’s a black card.” Kagome said, trying to hide her excitement. She looked around the room. "Thank you.” Kagome said bitterly to  Inuyasha , glaring at him. He scoffed at her.  Miroku winked at her as  Sesshomaru nodded his head. She turned over the little white case the card came in and saw a set of numbers. She put the card away and they proceeded with the meeting.  Sesshomaru looked down at his watch and then cleared his throat. 

“The last page is just the standard summary of the contract, what you can and can’t do. Like you can’t tell the public that you’re getting paid to be his ‘girlfriend’, you can’t be photographed doing anything questionable with other men, such and such. In addition, you can keep your current job for the time being. You can read it on your own time. I just need a signature from each of you.”  Sesshomaru said. 

_ For the time being.  _

Kagome looked up from her contract surprised, and glanced at  Miroku , who avoided looking at her in the eyes. “What?” She asked, stuttering. 

Sesshomaru nodded. “It’s only natural that you would have to eventually quit your current job. The media would begin to follow you at some point. It will be subtle at first, but as your relationship becomes longer, you might attract a fanbase, and more attention from the media.”  Sesshomaru shifted in his spot. “ Miroku tells me you’re a barista? It would be near impossible to do your job if your café were to be filled with paparazzi.”  Sesshomaru said, matter-of-factly. 

“No, I own my café. I can’t just abandon it.” Kagome said firmly, laying her fist on the table.  Miroku sighed. “Sorry I can’t do this.” 

“Oh no you don’t.”  Inuyasha snarled from his place, earning him the attention of the others in the room. “You  _ very happily  _ took a copy of my credit card and stuffed it in that purse of yours.” he said, narrowing his eyes at Kagome. “You don’t get to bail on this shit now. If I have to deal with keeping you around for a year, then so can fucking you.” He growled at her, his ears twitching atop his head. Kagome glared at him. 

“You can have your fucking card back. I don’t give a single fu-” 

“Kagome!”  Miroku yelled, laying a hand on Kagome’s shoulder, she slapped it away. “Kagome, Sango will be able to hold it down for a year.” He said to her.  Inuyasha looked puzzled at  Miroku . Kagome stared at  Miroku , her eyes filled with defiance. 

“I’m not abandoning my business!” Kagome cried, and  Inuyasha winced, covering his ears. 

“Shut the fuck up!” He yelled at her, getting up from his seat. Kagome’s breathe hitched in her throat and fear flashed on her face.  Inuyasha tilted his head slightly.  _ Did she just get scared? _ __ A growl threatened to crawl its way out of his throat and he huffed, turned on his heel. “ Miroku ...fix the girl.” He said, before storming out of the room. He stood against the wall and closed his eyes. The image of Kagome’s watery eyes and hurt expression replaying in his mind. There were few moments in life in which  Inuyasha had experienced true guilt. Unfortunately for him, this was one of those rare moments. He could hear  Miroku trying to calm down Kagome, and Kagome cursing and yelling at  Miroku . “Not a very good explainer I see.”  Inuyasha muttered to himself and sighed.  Miroku was his closet friend, and thus he entrusted  Miroku to lead him in the direction that was best for him and his career, especially since he doubled as both his manager and publicist. He understood that dealing with someone such as himself was difficult. It was in part because of that reason that  Inuyasha agreed to hiring the girl as his girlfriend. His face scrunched up as he cringed at the thought.  _ I sound like a creep!  _ Inuyasha thought, shaking his head. He heard  Miroku call his name, and he opened the door, sticking his head in. “Did you fix the problem?”  Inuyasha asked, shooting daggers at Kagome. Kagome looked down at the tale and  Miroku ran a hand over his head and nodded.  Inuyasha walked back to his seat and sat down. “What’s the solution?” 

“Sango said she could man it alone once the paparazzi start showing up.”  Miroku said, and  Inuyasha nodded, letting his eyes linger on Kagome before turning back toward his brother. The meeting with his brother ended shortly after. “ Sesshomaru , I trust that you will be at  Inuyasha’s fight Saturday night?” Sesshomaru looked at  Miroku and nodded. 

Sesshomaru politely said goodbye to Kagome and  Miroku and then stepped over to his younger brother. He leaned in near his ear and whispered, “if you mess this up, I will personally see to it that you lose everything you have.  _ Everything.” _ __

Inuyasha swatted him away, sucking in air through his teeth. “ Feh !” He scoffed, and crossed his arms.  Sesshomaru straightened up, and left the room quietly, with his copy of the contract in tow. 

For a moment,  Inuyasha ,  Miroku and Kagome sat around in awkward silence.  Miroku looked between the ‘new couple’ and smiled, clapping his hands. “Okay now for the actual important part; your first public appearance.”  Miroku said, catching the attention of both Kagome and  Inuyasha . “Ah, I see that got both of your attentions.” 

“Can we hurry this up, monk? My trainer is waiting for me.”  Inuyasha said irritated. Kagome nodded. For once she could agree with something that came out of  Inuyasha’s mouth.  Inuyasha turned toward Kagome, “your little melt down made me late.” He spat at her. Kagome glared at him, her eyes burning with rage. 

“Okay.  _ Look _ .” Kagome said darkly, and  Inuyasha looked at her.  Miroku shrunk into his seat. “You _ do not _ get to speak to me however you see fit, got it? I’m not a pet, and I  _ most definitely _ am not someone who just takes disrespect and doesn’t dish it out. Got that? I’m here for  _ one thing and one thing only: the money _ . However, I’m going to be expected to treat you with respect, then do me this one favor and give me at least a fraction of the respect I give you. You got that shit,  _ dog boy _ ?” Kagome spat back at him.  Inuyasha’s eyes grew wide with shock, and he gulped. 

He had  _ never _ had a woman talk to him like that.  _ Not once _ . A smile pulled on his lips and he looked up at Kagome, who was now standing at the table, her hands firmly planted on the table. “You got it.” He said clearly, and Kagome looked at him, confused. 

_ Did he really just back down...like that?  _ She wondered as she sunk back into her seat.  Miroku sat back up in his seat and looked between the two. She tucked a small strand of hair behind her ear and cleared her throat. “Um, t-thank you.” She said meekly, and  Inuyasha nodded his head slowly, looking at her through narrowed eyes. 

“Uh-huh.” 

Miroku cleared his throat next. “Well. Now that _ that’s _ out of your system, take out your phones and follow each other on Instagram and twitter.”  Miroku looked at Kagome, “what are your handles?” 

“K dot  higurashi , for both.” Kagome said, looking down at her phone as she followed  Inuyasha on both Instagram and twitter. She looked up when she was done. “Okay, done.”  Miroku nodded at her and then turned toward Inuyasha. 

“ Inuyasha . Time for you to change your Instagram bio. Change single to taken.”  Miroku said, albeit his voice was a little strained when he said the word ‘taken’. It physically pained him to take his best friend’s eligible bachelor status from him, but it had to be done lest his career take a steep decline.  Inuyasha sighed as he changed the word single to taken in his bio.  Miroku laughed nervously. “I know how you feel.” He offered, patting his friend’s shoulder. Inuyasha scoffed. 

“Have you ever had to pay a girl to date you?”  Inuyasha asked  Miroku , quickly making a straight face. “Knowing you? Probably.” He looked over to Kagome and saw that she had her face in the palm of her hands, smiling at the friends. The light that streamed in from the windows luminated her face and brightened her eyes, the rosy color of her lips was brought out as well. He took a picture, and the loud shutter noise broke Kagome’s concentration.

“What was that for?” She asked, making a weird face.  Miroku looked at  Inuyasha bewildered.  Inuyasha held up a finger as he posted the picture to his Instagram. He tagged Kagome and made the caption ’love of my life’, and added a red heart emoji. Kagome’s phone dinged getting her know that she was tagged in a picture. “You took a picture and posted it?” Kagome asked, as she looked at the comments that started loading in groups on her phone. People began to request to follow her and she gasped.  Miroku elbowed  Inuyasha , seeing that Kagome was now distracted on her phone. 

“Nice work.”  Miroku whispered to him, glancing at Kagome.  Inuyasha shrugged his shoulders. “I was going to tell you to do that. Great job on being proactive.” His friend rolled his eyes at him, earning a smile from Miroku. 

“I only did that to speed up this process. I have a trainer waiting for me.”  Inuyasha grumbled back at him, leaning in his seat.  Miroku nodded. 

“Right. Now that that’s taken care of, we have to talk about your first public appearance.”  Miroku looked between  Inuyasha and Kagome. “Kagome you’re going to be joining us on the flight to  Inuyasha’s fight in Las Vegas this  saturday . That will be your first public appearance.”  Inuyasha sighed, and pinched the bridge of his nose, but reluctantly uttered an ‘alright’ in response. Kagome nodded her head. 

“Wait so how are we going to tell people we met?” Kagome asked, and  Miroku shrugged his shoulders as if the answer was obvious. 

“When you guys get asked about relationship, which certainly will happen, say you met at the coffee shop you own.” he stated matter-of-factly. Inuyasha sighed. 

“Great. Now I have to go,”  Inuyasha said quickly and picked up his protein shake. He waved at  Miroku and Kagome. “See you Saturday.”  Inuyasha said over his shoulder as he walked out of the room. Kagome waved back, and then turned to  Miroku , straight faced. 

“What?”  Miroku asked, sinking into his seat. Kagome smiled at him, and the hair on the back of his neck raised. 

“ Miroku you better realize how much you’ve fucked up my life with this,” Kagome said to him seriously, folding her arms over her chest, crossing one leg over the other.  Miroku sighed. 

“Yes...I’m sorry.” he said, and then looked at Kagome. “You know, you really will like him once you get to know him. He’s a good guy.” Kagome laughed sardonically at  Miroku’s comments.  Inuyasha ? A good guy? 

“You’re funny.” Kagome refuted, getting up from her seat and collecting her contract. Her mind flashed back to the fear that filled her that morning, when she let her curiosity get the better of her. Miroku laughed nervously as he followed Kagome out of the room, his own copy of the contract in tow. 

“You guys are  smiliar .”  Miroku said softly, as he walked down the hallway with Kagome. She rolled her eyes. “I’m serious!” He said, laughing. “I  genuinely see a similarity. Don’t you?” 

“Sure, Miroku.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit longer because there was a lot I had to fit in! Hope you guys enjoy it!


	3. "List of Things he Hates"

Her fingers brushed over the fabric of the dress as she stared at herself in the mirror. It was a tight, black bondage dress, that hugged all of her curves; spaghetti straps held the dress up, although she was sure the dress would look just as beautiful without the straps. The neckline was straight across, and it had a small slit at the thigh. She liked how the dress accentuated her thighs that Sango affectionately called ‘thunder thighs’ as a result of her workout routine. Kagome gave herself a small smile in the mirror, as she turned to look at the back side of the dress. She was in love with it, though her smile faltered as she realized that she may only wear this dress once. 

_ “To play the part, one must look the part!” Miroku said to Kagome, pushing her into the Nordstrom. Inuyasha rolled his eyes as he and Sango trailed behind them.  _

Kagome remembered his words now, as she looked herself over in the dress. She heard a soft rapping at the dressing room door, and Sango’s voice followed. “Kagome, are you ready?” Sango called, and Kagome sighed. 

“Come out already!”  Inuyasha yelled from the couch of the dressing area, and Kagome rolled her eyes at the sound of his voice. It had only been a few days since this ordeal started (she accepted the offer formally on Monday after much deliberation over the weekend, they signed the contract Tuesday and Thursday they headed out to the mall). Kagome took a deep breath and walked out of the dressing room and stepped out in front of her friend and new ‘boyfriend’. Sango gave Kagome a bright smile, and clapped her hands together lightly, giving her friend her seal of approval. Miroku nodded beside Sango and smiled at Kagome. 

“Very nice choice Kagome.”  Miroku said, and then glanced down at  Inuyasha who lazed on the couch in front of her. He cleared his throat, “wouldn’t you agree, Inuyasha?” Inuyasha looked up at the sound of his name. 

His eyes widened at the sight of Kagome. Up until then, he hadn’t seen Kagome in any ‘formal’ clothing, or dresses. Only tight shirts and leggings or jeans. He looked at her up and down, and then again. He made a motion with his finger for Kagome to spin around, and she did. Sango glared at him, while Miroku had a smug smile on his face. After taking in Kagome’s appearance, he looked down at his phone and shrugged, causing Miroku and Sango to slump their shoulders in defeat. “Make’s you look fat.” He reared at her. Kagome grumbled at him, causing Inuyasha to raise his eyebrows at her. “Just being honest.” He mumbled, and went back to scrolling through his phone, disconnecting from the situation. Kagome gave him the middle finger as she stomped into the dressing room.  _ She looked fine,  _ Inuyasha thought as he tried to ignore the glares of Sango and Miroku. He glanced over his shoulder, and swore that he could see flames in both Miroku and Sango’s eyes. “What?” he asked dryly, arching an eyebrow at them. He knew very well what they were thinking, he didn’t need an answer from the pair. He huffed at them, and went back to his Instagram. 

Kagome emerged again from the dressing room, and her new dress instantly caught the attention of Inuyasha. His eyes trailed down her body. She wore a red flowy dress, with slits going up along both legs. The sleeves were long, and resembled a chiffon blouse, the neckline was high; a loose bow tied with the same chiffon material of the sleeves was on the left side of her neck. The dress was long, but not excessively. It was appropriate for his event. “Wow.” Inuyasha uttered under his breath. He felt Miroku shake him by the shoulder, and he ignored him. He watched as Kagome giggled with Sango in front of the mirrors, and kicked her leg out to one side, pretending to model. His eyes trailed up her leg, and appreciated the thickness of her thighs, and his eyes locked with Kagome’s in the mirror. “Uh,” he started loudly, getting up. “I think this one is nice.” Inuyasha said simply, and sauntered out of the dressing room area. The three friends watched as the half demon walked out of the dressing room, and then shared a look. 

“Kagome you look gorgeous!” Sango squealed at her friend, and gave her a hug. Kagome beamed a smile back toward Sango and looked at herself in the mirror. Miroku came up behind the girls and draped an arm over each of their shoulders. Both of the girls stiffened in their spots. Sango’s face changed as Miroku’s hand slid down to her backside, and rubbed against it. “You fucking pervert!” Sango yelled, and turned around, slapping Miroku in the process. Miroku sighed as he rubbed his cheek. “When are you going to learn!?” She yelled at him, and struck him on the head with her fist, before stomping out of the dressing room area herself. Miroku looked up at Kagome, and she held her hand out to him. She knew exactly what Miroku was about to say, and frankly she didn’t want to hear it. 

Kagome picked up the sides of her dress and hurried into the dressing room, locking the door behind her.  _ I know we locked eyes,  _ Kagome thought, as she carefully took off the dress and placed it back on its hanger. Her mind wandered back to a few minutes ago; Inuyasha looked at her with a different look in his famous golden eyes. There was no disgust, or annoyance this time. There was  _ appreciation.  _ Kagome shook her head. “He’s a guy.” Kagome said to herself, as she pulled on her black legging, hobbling around the dressing room. She pulled her green shirt over her head and pulled on her black shoes. Giving herself one last look in the mirror, Kagome grabbed her mini  book-bag where she carried her wallet and whatever else she had in her purse that was essential. She carefully grabbed the delicate dress, and draped it over her arm. She stepped out of the dressing room, and quickly shuffled over to her friends. She smiled at Miroku and Sango, “I need heels for this.” Kagome said, holding up the arm that had the dress draped over it. She looked around, and furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. “Where’s Inuyasha?” She asked, tilting her head to one side slightly. 

Sango also furrowed her eyebrows and looked around. “Huh, that’s weird.” She elbowed Miroku slightly, causing him to look up from his phone.  _ What is it with these men and their phones?  _ Sango wondered, mildly annoyed. Miroku shrugged his shoulders at the girls, and Sango groaned. “Gee, thanks for the help.” She said dryly and linked arms with Kagome. “C’mon, I think you need a pair of heels for this dress.” She muttered to her friend as they walked in the direction of the shoe section. Kagome laughed and nodded. 

“Hey, wait!” Miroku called after the girls. “I’m sure Inuyasha is just looking at clothes or something!” Miroku said, walking behind the girls. Kagome rolled her eyes and looked over her shoulder at Miroku, who followed closely behind the girls. Miroku took note of the look in her eyes, and took a step back. 

“Why was that so hard for you to say earlier?” Kagome said, and huffed turning her head back in the direction they were walking.

Miroku rolled his eyes at the girls, but followed quietly behind them as they entered the shoe section. He figured that the women would be in this section of the store for a while, and so he made himself comfortable on a nearby couch as Kagome and Sango began to look at heels. He looked around the shoe section, in the direction of the men's section and looked confused. “Where could Inuyasha have run off to?” Miroku wondered aloud, scratching his head. “Maybe he went to another store.” He concluded, shrugging his shoulders.  _ Either way, Inuyasha couldn’t have gone far _ , he thought as he went back to distracting himself by playing a game on his phone. 

“Kagome, what about these?” Sango asked as she held up a pair of black heels. Kagome scrunched her face up, as if to say ‘no’. Sango shrugged and put them back. Sango glanced over the heel selection in the store. It was extensive, and each pair looked more expensive than the last. Her hand danced delicately over the heels, until her eyes landed on a pair of nude, red bottom pumps. “Kagome.” Sango said, and walked up to her friend with the heel in hand. “What about this pair?” She asked, holding it out to Kagome. Kagome smiled when she saw them, and grabbed it in her hand, she examined it and then let a large smile break out over her face. 

“Yes! These are perfect!” She said warmly, hugging her friend. “I think I have a gold clutch somewhere in our apartment that I can use as my purse for the night, and I have that dangly pair of earrings you gave me for  Christmas! ” Kagome explained, mentally checking things off of her list. Sango smiled at Kagome, clapping her hands in excitement. 

“You’re going to be breathe-taking, Kagome.” Sango said, taking the heel back from Kagome. “I’m going to go get these in your size.” She said, and turned on her heel, walking toward an attendant. Kagome turned her attention toward Miroku, and walked over to him, tapping him on the shoulder. Miroku looked up from his game, partially shocked at how quickly they were able to settle on a shoe. 

“Hey, any word on Inuyasha?” Kagome asked him, sitting down beside him on the couch as she waited for Sango to come back with the shoes. Miroku shook his head at her. “Where the fuck could he be?” Kagome wondered, biting her thumb. Miroku glanced over at her, and tried to suppress a chuckle. 

_ She’s worried...that’s interesting,  _ Miroku thought to himself. “Stop worrying Kagome. Your prince in shining grappling gloves will be back.” Miroku teased, gently bumping his shoulder into Kagome’s. Kagome looked at Miroku with a disgusted look. “What you weren't worried just now?” He deadpanned. Kagome sighed, and leaned into his ear. 

“No! People are giving us weird looks!” Kagome whispered, causing Miroku to look around them. Ne noticed a few women exchanging looks and whispering to each other. “I think they’re talking about us.” Kagome said, as she glanced around her. Sango approached them with the shoes, and Kagome quickly pulled her down to sit next to her. Sango yelped, before Kagome leaned into her, and whispered the same thing. “I want to leave!” She added, pulling away from Sango with pleading eyes. 

“Inuyasha!” Miroku called, causing the women in the area to turn in Inuyasha’s direction. His sunglasses were pushed up, onto his head behind his ears, and he carried a small bag in his hand. His usual hard expression in his eyes. “There you are! Kagome was starting to get worried.” Miroku said, earning himself a glare from Kagome. 

“Yeah, where did you go?” Sango asked him, standing from her spot . She noticed the whispering increasing and the creepy looks from the women around them increased. 

“Getting something.” Inuyasha muttered coldly, and handed Kagome the small bag he brought with him. Kagome stared at the bag for a second. “Oh, for fucks sake, Kagome, just take the damn bag!” He shouted at Kagome. Miroku placed a hand on Inuyasha’s shoulder, looking around them.

“Inuyasha, people are staring at her and talking. She’s nervous. You aren’t helping your image right now, either.” He whispered to his friend. Inuyasha groaned. 

_ For fucks sake, I damage my image just by breathing now,  _ Inuyasha thought irritably. He didn’t respond to Miroku. “Did you pay for the shoes and dress yet?” He asked Kagome, taking the shoe box from Sango. He looked down at the brand.  _ Christian  _ _ Louboutin _ _! First, she wants a million dollars, now she wants this?  _ Inuyasha thought, while looking at Miroku. He remembered with scorn how he told Kagome that she had to ‘look the part’ if she was to act it. Kagome looked up at him and shook her head. 

“No, not yet. We were waiting for you.” Kagome said, finally finding her voice. She takes the small bag out of Inuyasha’s hand. It felt slightly heavy. Confused, she followed him out of the shoe area. “What’s this?” Kagome asked him. She quickened her pace to catch up with the man. She glanced back at Miroku, who mouthed to her to hold his hand. Kagome widened her eyes at him. “No way!” She mouthed. Miroku glared at her. “I have to hold your hand now.” Kagome whispered to the dog demon. He glanced over at her. 

“It’s perfume- and you have to what?” He answered her question, while simultaneously asking his own. He glanced back at Miroku and Sango. “What the fuck, dude!” He mouthed to his friend, who shot a glare at him as well. Rolling his eyes in annoyance, Inuyasha reaches toward Kagome’s hand, and takes her delicate hand in his, intertwining their fingers. Kagome didn’t react at all, aside from giving his hand a gentle squeeze. 

“Geez, I told him to hold it.” Miroku uttered, rubbing the back of his neck. He was slightly surprised that Inuyasha took it one step further by intertwining their fingers. He looked over at Sango, who walked quietly beside him. “So... Sango...” 

“Don’t get any ideas.” Sango said abruptly, staring at Kagome and Inuyasha’s hands. “Inuyasha’s a good actor.” Sango said, tilting her head. Miroku looked at her, puzzled.  “He bought her something, holding the shoes for her, interlocking their fingers?” Sango shook her head. Miroku raised his eyebrows. 

“Why don’t you and I act?” Miroku asked Sango, smirking at her. Sango groaned and rolled her eyes. “Still no?” Miroku asked again, sighing. “Very well then, I’ll stop trying for today.” Miroku stopped when he realized they were at a register. 

Inuyasha placed the shoes and the dress down on the large counter, and then looked up at the woman behind the register. Perhaps she hadn’t realized that Inuyasha noticed her staring, or she hadn’t realized that she was staring at Inuyasha. Either way, it made him feel uncomfortable and he cleared his throat to get her attention. “Do your job, and stop staring.” Inuyasha growled at her, startling the woman into action. Kagome glared up at him from his side. 

“I’m sorry about that.” Kagome said quickly, shooting Inuyasha another glare his way, “he’s a bit moody today.” She said smiling, patting him on the chest with one hand. Through gritted teeth and a quiet voice, she said to Inuyasha, “if you’re gonna act, I’m gonna act too.” Inuyasha exhaled heavily, reaching into his pocket to take out his wallet. He pulled out a credit card. 

“What’s the damage?” Inuyasha asked, completely ignoring the way Kagome was still leaning into him, her nails brushing against his skin through his shirt. 

“Two thousand six hundred ninety-five dollars, with forty cents.” The woman said, Sango cursed behind Inuyasha and Kagome and Miroku coughed, clear expressions that they weren’t expecting the dress and shoes to cost as much as it did. Kagome cursed internally as she glanced over at Inuyasha who merely slid his credit card on the card reader. 

_ I definitely should have asked for more money,  _ Kagome thought, smiling as the bag was handed over to her. They turned away from the counter and made their way out of the store, still holding hands. Once out of the store, Kagome looked up at Inuyasha who seemed to be in deep thought, as he barely talked all day. “So... why are you so popular?” she asked, his ears flickered at the sound of her voice and her stomach did a flip. God, those ears! 

“What?” Inuyasha asked her, as they walked through the mall, Kagome noticed that more people seemed to stare at them, although this time it was all types of people. Teenage boys, women, kids, older people. “Well I’m best at my job.” He said, matter-of-factly. Kagome blinked at him and sighed. “What?” 

“No I mean why are you so popular...in general?” Kagome asked, prompting a bizarre look from Inuyasha. 

“You’re making no sense right now wench.” Inuyasha scoffed at her, out of the corner of his eye he noticed a camera flashing and he groaned. “Great.” He muttered, turned back to Miroku. “Hey, Miroku! We’ve got company.” He said to his friend, as he noticed that the camera’s flash had attracted a small group of people.

Kagome didn’t get a chance to react to Inuyasha’s comment, as the small group of people moved toward them. She squeezed Inuyasha’s hand causing him to look down at her and smirk. She hadn’t expected for the first time she be swarmed with camera to be now. In all actuality she was expecting this to happen on  Saturday , and in the year following after  Saturday . 

“Inuyasha!” A voice called out from the crowd, prompting Inuyasha to tighten his jaw. “Inuyasha what are you going to do about your latest arrest?” 

‘Inuyasha is this girl your new lover?’ Kagome snorted at the comment. Lover? Really? 

“Inuyasha how do you feel about Saturday's fight?” Inuyasha smiled at the camera held by the person who asked the question. 

“I feel great about the fight coming up. I’ve been training hard, day in and day out and I’m positive it’ll be a thirty second knockout ordeal.”  Inuyasha responded confidently, as he and Kagome walked past the crowd, but they swarmed around them once more. He growled lowly in annoyance, and pulled Kagome closer to him. “Stay close.” He said lowly, Kagome nodded in response. Inuyasha looked back at  Miroku and Sango, who were following closely behind himself and Kagome. He planted himself in one spot, and put his sunglasses on, smiling at the cameras and answering their questions, every once in a while, he would glance down at Kagome. He slipped his hand around her waist and pulled her closer to his body, prompting a look of surprise from Kagome. 

“How did you meet her?” One person asked, Inuyasha recognized the face, although he couldn’t quite remember what magazine or gossip website they were from. Miroku came up behind Inuyasha and Kagome with Sango, and gently shoved the crowd away from them, so they wouldn’t crowd around them as much. Sango stared at Inuyasha, amazed. It seemed as though he was a completely different person in front of cameras. He was charming...almost. 

“There’s a café near my apartment building that I really like. She was there almost every day. I thought she was so gorgeous,” he looked down at Kagome, brushing the back of his hand against her cheek, “I just couldn’t  _ not  _ ask her out.” he chuckled. Kagome, realizing what Inuyasha was doing, stared up at him, making eye contact. Inuyasha stared back at her, with a softened gaze, like the one he gave her back when they were in the dressing room. He noticed the specks of faint green in Kagome’s eyes. 

“Wow...” Sango breathed.  _ He’s fucking unbelievable,  _ she thought, amazed. She looked toward Miroku, who seemed relieved that Inuyasha was playing along so well, and so early in the fake relationship. Snapping out of his thoughts, Miroku decided Inuyasha had had enough time in front of the cameras, lest he go and do something stupid. 

“Okay! That’s enough for today!” Miroku hollered, as he and Sango pushed people away from Inuyasha and Kagome, making way for them to move. “We have a very busy schedule and have to get doing! Move! Now! Go!” Miroku yelled, motioning for everyone to disperse. 

Quickly Inuyasha grabbed Kagome by the wrist, and walked quickly toward the parking garage, Miroku and Sango followed very quickly after; having staved off the reporters and paparazzi. Miroku walked along side Inuyasha, and Sango alongside Kagome. Inuyasha looked over his shoulder one last time, before letting go of Kagome’s hand, and stuffing his hands into his pocket. “Nice work.” He uttered to Kagome, as they walked out of the mall and into the parking garage. 

“You too.” Kagome uttered back to him. “The brushing of the hand against my cheek was a nice touch.” Kagome commented, praising Inuyasha for being quick on his feet. “You put up a good act.” 

“I agree,” Miroku said, from beside Inuyasha. Inuyasha looked over at him. “People are eating it up, they love you two together.” He added , Inuyasha gave his friend a sarcastic smile. 

“Glad that’s making you happy, Miroku.” Inuyasha said bitterly, as he pulled his car keys out of his pocket. Miroku rolled his eyes.

“Inuyasha if you keep acting like  _ that _ __ they might expect you two to get married by the end of the year.” Inuyasha lashed out at his friend suddenly, punching him on the head. Miroku winced, rubbing the part on his head that Inuyasha  punched. 

“You kinda of deserved that.” Sango said dryly, following Inuyasha and Kagome to his car.  “Where are we going now?” Sango asked, and Inuyasha shrugged his shoulders. 

“I dunno…eat or somethin’”. He glanced back at Miroku, who walked slowly toward the red Mercedes. Shaking his head, he opened the trunk and took Kagome’s bags from her hands and tossed them into the trunk, he shut it and got in the car. Sango let herself into the back of the car. 

“Kagome you should sit in the front.” Miroku said as he approached the car. Kagome looked at him, confused. He sighed.  _ Wow she really doesn’t know anything about the logistics of this.  _ He thought, and mentally shrugged his shoulders. “If there was paparazzi inside, there's paparazzi outside , if there isn’t any in the parking garage already— so just hurry up and sit in the front.” Miroku said, and got into the backseat on the other side. 

_ So, this is what my life has come to?  _ Kagome wondered, as she sighed heavily and  got into the passengers seat. Miroku leaned forward between the passengers seat and drivers seat. “You guys should hold hands.” He suggested, “or Kagom e, if you see flashing lights why don’t you pretend like you’re playing with his ears or something?” Kagome smiles at Miroku.  _ Finally!  _ She thought, internally celebrating,  _ the moment I’ve been waiting for! _ Inuyasha pressed into the brakes abruptly, and looked back at Miroku. 

“My  _ ears  _ are off limits.” Inuyasha snarled, he pinned his ears down and looked over at Kagome .  “I’ve seen you stare at them,” he spat, earning an innocent and confused look from Kagome, “don’t give me that shit.  You  _ aren’t  _ touching them.”  Kagome groaned on the inside, and glanced back at Sango, who  shared a sad look with her friend. “Besides- don’t you think they’ll think we’re trying a little  _ too  _ hard to appear in love and shit?” Inuyasha asked, as he continued to drive . Miroku shook his head, leaning back into his seat.  “I mean for fucks sake I just brushed the back of my hand against this wench’s face.”  Inuyasha shuddered in his seat, as Kagome glared at him.  _ I can’t believe I did that,  _ Inuyasha thought, mentally gagging.  _ Her skin was soft, I’ll give her that much.  _

“Not at all. You guys  _ just  _ started ‘dating’, remember that. You’re supposed to seem  _ obsessed _ with each other.” Miroku emphasized obsessed.  _ Obsessed _ , he thought,  _ is what I am with trying to get your image back in good standing so we don’t go broke!  _ “You’re in the cupcake phase!” Miroku exclaimed, and Sango rolled her eyes as she stared out the window of the car. Inuyasha glared at Miroku through the rear-view mirror. 

“The what?” 

“The cupcake phase! The phase where you’re  super obsessed with each other and all you want to do is make out and touch and all that gross stuff.” Miroku said, twiddling his fingers as he looked between the two. Kagome turned in her seat, looking back at Miroku. 

“Gross.” She said, and then looked at Sango, “you hear this? Cupcake phase.” She scoffed, crossing her arms as they approached the exit of the parking garage. She noticed a person walking toward the car from outside the parking garage as  Inuyasha rolled down his window to pay the fee. She quickly turned to him, and gently put her hand on his thigh. She looked up at  Inuyasha and noticed a rose tinge that came onto his cheeks.  _ Aw, he’s blushing,  _ Kagome thought as she smiled at him. She then reached up with one hand, and started to rub his ear. “There’s someone with a camera.” She whispered, seeing the look of confusion on  Inuyasha’s face. 

“Oh.” He said, and began smiling. “We’re eating Italian.”  Inuyasha announced, as they turned away from the parking garage and the person with the camera. He couldn’t quite tell if they were a paparazzi, or a fan, or a reporter of some sort. Those types of people took on all types of forms, and after a while they just all mushed together in his memory. Anyone who wasn’t in his  entourage or inner circle was just a gossip journalist or fan to him. It was just how fame worked. Once he was sure they were out of the person’s sight, he swatted Kagome’s hand away from his ear and jerked his thigh away from her. “Don’t  _ ever  _ touch me like that again.”  Inuyasha snarled at Kagome, tightening his grip around the wheel. 

“Well, it’s what I was  _ hired _ to do you fucking imbecile!” Kagome yelled at him, crossing her arms again. Sango sat up in her seat. 

“Kagome is right, she was hired to do that.” She stated, and shrugged her shoulders.  Inuyasha grumbled behind the wheel. 

“I don’t give a fuck what she was hired to do! She can show her  _ affection  _ for me some other way! Like touching my hair or face.” He hollered, turning on the radio. He glanced over at Kagome who glowered at him from her seat. “I don’t want your hands anywhere near  _ that  _ area, or my ears. Got that?” His voice took on a demanding tone, as Kagome sunk into her seat. 

_ Geez, this dude is bipolar!  _ Kagome thought,  _ He’s impossible! One minute he’s happily playing along, the next minute he’s yelling at me about where I can touch him. He’s unbearable. I can’t stand this guy. And then he’s going to go and choose where we’re going to eat? And no one objects to it!  _ “Well what if I don’t want Italian?! You can’t just choose without asking everyone!” Kagome yelled at Inuyasha, earning herself an incredulous look from her friends. __

_ “ _ Italian sounds pretty good right now, actually.” Sango said, shrugging her shoulders as she looked at her friend. Kagome gave her a bewildered look. “What? Chicken Parm sounds really good right now!”  _ Actually _ _ anything does,  _ Sango thought to herself,  _ I’m just really hungry.  _

“Yeah I agree.”  Miroku said shrugging his shoulders. “Plus let's not forget  Inuyasha just bought you that really expensive dress, and shoes. I think he can choose what we eat for once.” 

“You guys are  _ unbelievable!”  _ She shrieked, and crossed her arms. 

The rest of the car ride went by in awkward silence. Every once in a while  Miroku would try to make conversation with the people in the car with him, but Kagome was still fuming,  Inuyasha was also agitated, and Sango was sleeping soundly. His eyes trailed down Sango’s  soft features . She was beautiful when she wasn’t attempting to kill him for his advances on her. He smiled to himself as he shook his head. He met Kagome and Sango a few months after he and  Inuyasha moved to New York from California, in another attempt to change  Inuyasha’s ways. In the beginning, their relationship was strictly professional. He would go in every few days with the same order: two large  matcha lattes with cinnamon, a bagel with cream cheese and avocado toast on wheat bread. Eventually, that relationship gave way to a friendship. A friendship that was now saving his career, and that of  Inuyasha’s . He was thankful for Kagome and Sango, who were so quick to open their hearts and lives up to  Miroku . A small part of him was sure that money had something to do with it as well, but that was a conversation for another day. “So, Kagome, we leave tonight around 9:30 for Vegas, I’ll send a car to pick you up.”  Miroku announced, causing Kagome to look up from her phone. 

“Tonight?” She asked, glancing over at  Inuyasha who shrugged at her. She looked over at the time the car had set. It was 3 o’clock in the afternoon. “Oh no,” she groaned. “ Miroku you really should have said that earlier.”

“I have to be there for the weigh in.”  Inuyasha said nonchalantly, “it’s tradition, can’t miss it.” Kagome groaned again. “We come back Sunday afternoon.” He added, in an attempt to ease Kagome’s concerns. She pinched the bridge of her nose and now  Inuyasha found himself groaning at Kagome. “You complain about everything, you know that?” He said.  Miroku ignored them both. 

“Okay here’s what’s going to happen: we leave tonight on the private jet. Tomorrow  Inuyasha , his trainer and I are going to go to the weigh in in the morning. You can tag along if you’d like, or you can stay in your hotel room. I am going to warn you, sometimes opponents try to talk shit about family members, girlfriends, anything to annoy the opponent. It’s standard. Don’t take it to heart.”  Miroku explained, Kagome listened as his voice took on a very professional, serious tone. “Saturday night, we will go to the arena. That’s when you have to wear that dress. Make yourself look attractive, do your hair. Whatever you women do.”  Miroku glanced at Inuyasha, who looked over to  Kagome. Kagome nodded in understanding. 

“One last thing,”  Inuyasha added, as he pulled into the restaurant parking lot. Kagome looked over at him with curiosity. “are you squeamish?” He asked her. 

“Not particularly,” Kagome said, shaking her head. “Why?” 

“There will be a lot of blood. Do you understand?” He said, coldly. “I will be bloody, and sweaty.” He said taking off his seat-belt. “You will be front and center next to the octagon. Got that?  Miroku will be with you for most of the fight explaining things to you I’m sure. Do. Not. Yell. For the love of god, do not yell at me if I get hit.” He pointed a finger at Kagome. 

“Yeah, that’s another thing, don’t scream.”  Miroku added, as he gently shook Sango  awake from her nap. “The arena will be packed with people screaming. Also try not to look scared If you get alarmed, it’ll freak  Inuyasha out.” He dodged  Inuyasha’s hand as he reached into the back seat to hit  Miroku . 

“ Miroku !” He yelled. 

“Wait I can’t scream?” Kagome retorted, laughing a little.  Inuyasha shook his head. “Wait I’m confused.”

“Cheer. You can cheer and have fun.”  Inuyasha clarified, getting out of the car, Kagome followed suit. “I don’t want to hear anyone on my side screaming in  _ fear.  _ I hate it.” Kagome rolled her eyes as she, Sango and  Miroku followed him into the upscale  restaurant . 

_ Great,  _ she thought,  _ add that to the list of things he hates.  _


	4. "No Simple Answer"

She was a bubbly, ebullient woman. Her eyes shined with pure joy as she conversed happily with everyone in Inuyasha’s entourage, never straying far from his brother, Sesshomaru. At the moment, Kagome found herself sitting at a table in the private jet, as Inuyasha found somewhere to put their belongings. She watched with curiosity as the other woman laughed, and grabbed into Sesshomaru’s arm. He simply glanced at her, and held her hand as she conversed. He sipped on a glass of champagne. She looked over at her left hand and noticed a large diamond ring. Kagome’s eyes widened in surprise. _I don’t remember him wearing a ring when we met._ Kagome thought. She saw Miroku make eye contact with Kagome, and tapped the other woman on the shoulder. He guided her toward Kagome, and smiled at her. “Rin! Meet Kagome, Inuyasha’s wonderful girlfriend. Kagome, meet Rin. She’s Sesshomaru’s fiancée.” Rin smiled at Kagome widely and reached for a hug as Kagome stood up from her seat to greet her. Kagome was taken aback by the hug, but returned it nonetheless. Seeing the two greet each other, Miroku made his way back to the entourage, working his way past a flight attendant. Inuyasha made his way over from the couch where everyone’s bags were thrown on, and joined his brother and Miroku in conversation, along with a short, older man. He was holding a glass with whiskey in it. Kagome could overhear the four men speaking in Japanese, although she couldn’t quite make it out. 

“Oh, thank god, _another woman!”_ Rin exclaimed, pretending to wipe sweat off of her brow. “I always try to support our little brother, but being surrounded by nothing but savage men for a few days can get to be quite exhausting.” She smiled. Kagome laughed and smiled back, taking a champagne flute from the flight attendant that passed by. “I’m so glad Inuyasha is finally calming down,” Rin said, looking back toward Inuyasha with a soft expression. Kagome followed her gaze. 

“Slowing down?” Kagome asked, taking a sip of the champagne. She and Rin sat down, and Rin sighed. “Is there something I should know about?” Kagome asked, looking disconcertingly at Rin. Rin laughed nervously and waved off Kagome’s concern. 

“Nothing to worry about!” Rin lied glancing over at her fiancé. Kagome raised an eyebrow. “It’s just that Inuyasha is a very...well...I’ve never been introduced to a girl he’s brought on a jet. He doesn’t let us talk to his girlfriends usually. Actually, he doesn’t even post them on his social media most of time.” She said cautiously, and Kagome sighed. _Yeah, I kind of knew that already,_ Kagome thought; nonetheless she smiled down at the petite woman. She had short, straight hair, that was cut in a blunt lob, had loose curls. Kagome simply shook Rin’s comments off. 

“You mentioned savage men?” She laughed a little bit. “I think your fiancé is the furthest thing from a savage man.” Kagome joked, taking another sip of her champagne. She locked eyes with Inuyasha who raised his eyebrows at her. She smiled in his direction which caused him to go back to his conversation. Before Rin could say something, the pilot came out from the cockpit. 

“Gentlemen, please take a seat. This jet will start moving very shortly. We should be in Las Vegas about 4 hours from now.” Kagome watched as Inuyasha, Sesshomaru and Miroku plopped down on a couch and buckled their seatbelts. She and Rin did the same. The old man and two other demons sat in single seats, also putting on their seatbelts. Once done, Rin turned back to her conversation with Kagome and winked. 

“Appearances can be deceiving.” She said back to her, and smiled devilishly. Kagome laughed and lightly hit her shoulder with the sleeve of her hoodie. In her peripheral vision she saw Inuyasha’s ears perk up, one ear turned in her direction. His eyes were still glued to his phone however. 

“Ooh, I like you.” Kagome said, and yelped as she felt the plane move. 

“What? Never been on a plane before?” the old man said from his seat across the aisle from the two women. Kagome laughed nervously. _I’m gonna go out on a limb here and say this is his trainer,_ Kagome thought. 

“I have, just...never been in a private plane before.” Kagome said shyly. Rin smiled at her and patted her on the shoulder. The old man chuckled, and nodded his head. 

“It’s alright Kagome. It’s the same as being on a regular plane...just better.” He said with a wink, earning a smile from Rin and Kagome. He eyed Kagome up and down, as if sizing her up. The old man then looked over his shoulder at Inuyasha who was bickering with his brother on the couch and made a ‘hm’ sound, going back to reading his magazine. 

“That’s Myoga.” Rin stated, and Kagome nodded. “He’s Inuyasha’s trainer. Old, wise man. Like Mr. Miyagi from _Karate Kid!”_ Rin laughed. Kagome smiled at her. _Mr. Poker face with this chick? I’d like to know the story behind that!_ Kagome thought. Myoga rolled his eyes at Rin’s comment, although he did appreciate her lighthearted nature. Kagome jolted back in her seat as she felt the plane pick up speed, and then ascend into the air. She looked out of the window as the city of New York started to become smaller and smaller, until it turned into nothing but a couple thousand small white dots. “Where are you from?” Rin asked Kagome. 

“Well,” Kagome said, sipping her champagne. “My parents were born in Japan, but I was actually born in Seattle, Washington.” Kagome said, and glanced in Inuyasha’s direction. He was too busy talking with Miroku. He made a punching motion into the air, and twisted his body. Kagome was confused, but she figured it was best she not ask. “What about you?” Kagome returned the question to Rin, leaning against the window of the jet. She kicked off her slip-on vans and pulled one leg onto the chair with her body, locking her fingers under her knee. 

“I’m from the city.” Rin said, shrugging. “I grew up in Astoria. “Kagome nodded at her and the two started having a conversation about their favorite spots in the city. 

Sesshomaru stared from his spot on the couch as Rin and Kagome spoke to each other, every once in a while, one of them would laugh or playfully shove the other. “Our women are getting along well, brother.” Sesshomaru said lowly, bumping Inuyasha in the shoulder. “She was a nice choice.” Sesshomaru added, nodding at Miroku. He wasn’t a man of many words, or much praise- but he was never hesitant to give credit when it was due. Miroku’s lips instantly broke out in a smug smile. Sesshomaru instantly narrowed his eyes at the man. _Smug lecher,_ Sesshomaru thought. 

“She’s not my woman.” Inuyasha uttered, as he peered at the women through narrowed eyes. His eyes rested on Kagome, who was wearing an oversized cream-colored sweater, and jeans. Her hair was thrown up into a messy bun, and he could see the small tattoo behind her ear. She wore stud diamond earrings. Inuyasha huffed as he looked away from them and turned toward his brother, “you’re just saying that because she’s being nice to Rin and keeping her company.” he added, rolling his eyes as he took off his seatbelt. Miroku snickered at his comment. 

“Rin talks a lot Sesshomaru.” Miroku said to his friend, and Sesshomaru growled lowly a them. 

“Rin talks a comfortable amount.” He defended, and then looked at Miroku up and down. “You’re just mad you can’t get women in bed without getting drunk at a party with them.” Sesshomaru added, a small smirk tugging on his lips. Miroku turned red, and Inuyasha laughed. 

The private jet buzzed with conversation, laughter and drinks the whole way to Las Vegas. Kagome hadn’t even noticed that they were flying into Las Vegas until the pilot said so. Excited, as she had never been to Las Vegas. Kagome turned in her spot and looked out the window, pressing her face against the glass as she looked down at the small, yet mighty city, that sprouts seemingly out of thin air in the middle of arid Nevada. “Wow...” Kagome breathed, her eyes twinkled with childlike joy and excitement. She realized that she may not get to do much of what other people may do on a trip to Las Vegas, but not everyone who went into Las Vegas got there in a private jet with champagne and attractive men, she would give you that much. Sure, Inuyasha certainly was rough around the edges and hot headed, along with entitled and selfish, accompanied by simple minded and arrogant, on top of spoiled and bratty; but he was cute. Sort of. He was attractive in his own...odd way, Kagome just had to put her finger on it. She looked over at Rin excitedly and then strained her neck to look over at Miroku, who looked back at her with a wide smile. She noticed the uninterested looks Inuyasha and Sesshomaru had as they peered over their shoulders into the window behind them. “What’s the matter with you people? Isn’t it beautiful?” Kagome asked, pointing out of her window. Rin giggled, causing Kagome to look over at her. 

“Kagome, Las Vegas really isn’t that amazing once you come here every other month sweetheart.” Rin said. Kagome looked over at the two brothers, who looked uninterested out of the window, and shrugged her shoulders. Rin looked over to Myoga who was fast asleep, while Inuyasha’s two friends swatted at his nose, trying to get him to wake up. She sighed heavily, and then got up from her seat, walking over to Sesshomaru. “Sesshomaru.” Rin said calmly, earning the attention of all three of the men on the couch. Sesshomaru reached out to Rin, and held her hand, looking up at her. “When we land, can we go eat? I’m hungry.” 

“Of course, Rin.” Sesshomaru said, and turned to Inuyasha. “Would you and Kagome care to join us?” He asked, arching an eyebrow at his brother. Inuyasha glared at Sesshomaru, knowing very well that his brother was only trying to get under his skin. Rin didn’t quite pick up on the annoyance Inuyasha showed, as she jumped up and down, clapping her hands. 

“Oh, please do!” Rin said, clasping her hands together as she gave Inuyasha puppy eyes. Inuyasha glared up at Rin, and then looked over at Kagome. The soft glow of the lights of the buildings below them illuminated her face, adding to the childlike expression in her eyes. He felt a small smirk break out. “That is, if she’s hungry.” Rin said, following Inuyasha’s gaze. “She’s really excited to be here.” Rin added, smiling at Kagome. She shared a knowing look with Sesshomaru, and then poked Miroku in the side of his head, motioning for him to look at Inuyasha. 

“What? Oh...Oh.” Miroku said, as he watched Inuyasha willingly walk over to Kagome, and place his chin on her shoulder, watching the lights of the city with her as they flew closer. He frantically checked the area for his phone, and took a picture of the two, moments before Kagome realized that Inuyasha was so close to her and pushed him off of her, causing him to fall in Myoga’s lap. “Well this has escalated quickly.” Miroku muttered to himself, as he watched the two bickered, Myoga wriggled under Inuyasha, as his two friends pushed Inuyasha off. Sighing, he turned his attention back to his phone, and sent the picture he took to Inuyasha’s phone. He watched it ding from beside him. 

“You’re a creep! Why would you do that?” Kagome screamed at Inuyasha, throwing the rest of her champagne in his face, Sesshomaru winced, as did Rin and Miroku. Seeing that the situation was going to get heated, Inuyasha’s two friends scurried down the aisle to the area where Miroku, Rin and Sesshomaru were. “Jesus christ!” Kagome yelled, as she hit Inuyasha on the arm with her fist. 

“Alright!” Inuyasha said, pulling his arm away from Kagome. He grabbed her wrists in his hands and stared down at her, sitting her down on a seat, he kneeled in front of her. “Look! Jesus- Kagome would you stop fighting me?!” Inuyasha growled loudly at her, struggling to keep her hands down. Myoga sighed from his seat. 

“Inuyasha leave her.” Myoga said. “You freaked her out.” 

“It was a fucking joke!” Inuyasha yelled, tightening his grip around Kagome’s wrists as he turned his head to look at Myoga. He heard Kagome wince in pain and let go of her, although he quickly wrapped his hands around her wrists again when she tried to swing at him. “You really tried to hit me just now, didn’t you?” Inuyasha glowered at her. He chuckled and let go of her hands, tapping his cheek lightly with his own. “Go ahead, bitch...hit me.” He dared her, again tapping his cheek. 

_Fucking gladly!_ Kagome thought, as she threw back her arm, and struck Inuyasha on the cheek with force, and an open palm. Everyone in the private jet held their breath, waiting to see Inuyasha’s reaction. The flight attendant peered into the area from her seat near the front, having heard the arguments and the sound of a hit. The light for everyone to go back to their seats turned on. Slowly, Inuyasha rose from his spot in front of Kagome, gingerly touching his cheek that now glowed red and pulsated. Kagome glared at his back as he walked away from her slowly, and went to sit back down. She saw Rin approach him to see if he was okay, but he simply held out a hand signifying that he didn’t want to be bothered. 

“Why?” Miroku mouthed at Kagome, shaking his head. Kagome glared at him, prompting him to glare back at her. “Apologize!” He mouthed to her, making a motion toward Inuyasha. 

“No!” Kagome yelled toward him, and folded her arms in defiance. Myoga, who sat across from her shook his head, and Kagome’s hard, unapologetic expression faltered for a minute. She felt the plane descend slowly, and soon after she felt the wheels screech against the asphalt. Kagome felt as if time couldn’t have gone more slowly than it did in that moment, her eyes remained glued out her window. Part of it was because of embarrassment, the other because she felt guilty, and yet refused to apologize to Inuyasha. She bounced her head nervously, as the jet slowly pulled into an aircraft hangar. She saw two large SUVs waiting for the group, and she could not _wait_ to get out of the plane and into her hotel room. Once they were told it was okay to get up, Kagome quickly reached back to where her shoes were, and slipped them back on. She reached for her phone, along with her tote bag and quickly walked to where her duffle bag was, and picked it up, along with the garment bag her dress was in. As she turned back to get out of the plane, Inuyasha blocked her way, his palms resting on the seats that were to either side of him. “Let me through.” Kagome said lowly to him, focusing on something beyond his shoulder. 

“No.” Inuyasha said simply, as Kagome fixated her gaze on his face. “You’re going to apologize, we’re going to check into the hotel, and go to bed.” Inuyasha said lowly, leaning into her ear. Kagome looked over his shoulder again, seeing Rin looking at her concerned. “I’m willing to overlook this. _Once.”_ Inuyasha commented as he pulled away; his jaw tightened and his hands balled up in fists, still resting on the top of the leather chairs. 

“Let me through. Everyone else has to get their things.” Kagome uttered back to him, clearing her through. She looked down and closed her eyes. “Please.” She said weakly, looking up at Inuyasha. His eyes softened once she looked up at him, she could see the hurt in them, and it almost caused her to show him that she felt genuinely bad. Inuyasha sighed and moved over to let Kagome cross. Drawing herself up, Kagome walked pass the flight attendant that stood at the exit of the plane and uttered a ‘thank you’ on her way. Once she was on the ground, Miroku placed a hand on Kagome’s back as he walked her over to one of the cars. She loaded her things into it, and then sat in the back seat with the door open. She looked over at Miroku and clenched her teeth. “Did I fuck up?” She asked, concerned. 

Miroku looked at Kagome, bewildered for a moment, and then sighed. “Slightly.” He said, pursing his lips. “Look.” Miroku said, struggling to find the right words to say to her. He looked over his shoulder as Inuyasha and his friends left the plane. “He didn’t mean to be...like that.” Miroku said, and realized those too, were not the right words to say. “He’s innocent alright? He just wanted to spook you for a good laugh.” Miroku said, and Kagome sighed, slumping her shoulders. “No one is judging you, okay? Except maybe Inuyasha, but let's be honest...he judges everyone.” Miroku whispered, causing Kagome to smile a little. “Maybe you guys can make up in your hotel room?” Miroku added, shyly. Kagome quickly struck him on the head, and Miroku glared at her. “I hope you don’t pick this up as a habit young lady.” Miroku said dryly, rubbing his head. He watched as Inuyasha walked pass them and loaded his things and Miroku’s into the trunk of the SUV. 

“Our hotel room? As in I’m staying with him?” Her cheeks turned red with embarrassment. Miroku nodded his head. “Please tell me it’s separate beds.” She clasped her hands together, and peered over her seat to the back of the car and noticed Inuyasha was gone. “Miroku please tell me you’re joking.” 

“Look you guys have to seem like a couple. Las Vegas is crawling with people ready to make a mountain out of a molehill. You guys need to show a united front, if you’re seen walking out of one hotel room and he’s seen walking out of another, people can say you’re cheating on each other or he’s cheating on you, and start questioning the relationship.” He explained lowly, rubbing a hand over Kagome’s arm. “It’s one hotel room, but separate rooms. It’s one of the suites. You don’t have to interact with him if you don’t want to. He’s not going to bother you. I promise you that. You won’t even share a bathroom.” Kagome sighed, and glared at Miroku. “Kagome...a lot of money is being poured into this. We need this to work. You can’t keep fighting us along the way.” The girl nodded her head at Miroku, and he pulled her in for a hug. 

“Can we go?” Inuyasha said from behind Miroku, his hands in his pockets. Miroku nodded and climbed into the car, and Inuyasha followed after him, closing the door behind him. He cleared his throat as he sat next to Kagome, and stared out of the window of the car as it moved out of the hangar. Kagome strained her neck to look out of the back window, as Sesshomaru loaded duffle bags into the back of the other car. The car ride was silent, there wasn’t much to say after what happened on the jet. 

“Inuyasha.” Kagome said softly, and looked at him. The pretty lights of the Las Vegas strip didn’t matter much to her anymore. _Nothing can be as insufferable as the tension in this car right now,_ Kagome thought as Inuyasha turned his head to look at her. She tried to look for any sign of interest from him in his eyes, but she could only see indifference. “Just wanted to say I’m sorry.” Kagome sighed, and turned to look out of her own window. 

“Save it.” Inuyasha said, folding his arms. 

“Inuyasha.” Miroku said darkly, glaring at his friend. _Come on! Don’t be stupid!_

“Okay.” Kagome said defeated, making Inuyasha’s ears flicker. She couldn’t exactly force him to accept her apology, just as he couldn’t exactly force Kagome to like his personality, even though it was essentially what she was hired to do. “I understand.” she added, as they pulled in front of the hotel lobby. Kagome recognized the hotel from celebrity Instagram posts and you-tubers she watched, although her mind was too focused on the angry half-demon fighter she slapped. A hotel porter greeted them as got out of the SUV and quickly unloaded their bags from the SUV and followed the three into the hotel lobby. For the rest of the check in process, Kagome was adrift, not paying attention. She couldn’t help but notice the tension that surrounded Inuyasha, or the awkwardness with which Miroku spoke to them as they parted ways to go to their hotel rooms for the night. She drifted in and out of the small talk the porter made with Inuyasha in the elevator, and barely noticed the picture the porter took with him, or the “good luck on the fight!” he added, as he left Inuyasha and Kagome in the spacious, beautiful suite. What broke her out of her train of thought was the sigh that left Inuyasha’s lips as he took his things from the luggage cart and went into his room, closing the doors behind him. Kagome took her garment bag, and her duffle bag, and went into her own room on the other end of the living room, closing the doors behind her. “I should call Sango.” Kagome said to herself in her large room. “First I should shower, though.” Kagome thought, yawning as she pulled a pair of satin sleeping shorts, and a matching loose-fitting tank top. She opened a door to the right side of the bed, that led into her own bathroom. Kagome turned on the water and adjusted its temperature before she went in, letting the lukewarm water wash over her body for a second. Her mind flashed back to the hard impact her hand made with Inuyasha’s cheek. 

**_SLAP._ **

She winced as she washed off her body, and stepped out of the shower, drying off her hair and then wrapping her small body in the towel. _He’s going to accept my apology,_ Kagome resolved, determination in her eyes as she changed into her satin sleeping shorts and tank top. She combed out her hair with her fingers, before tucking it behind her ears. She grabbed her phone from her bed, and huffed as she opened the doors to her room, and walked across the living and dining room of the hotel suite and over to Inuyasha’s room. She took a deep breathe, before she knocked softly on the wooden doors. “ Inuyasha ?” Kagome said softly, placing her hands on the door, she looked up, pressing her ear to it. She couldn’t hear anything. “ Inuyasha can you please open your door?” Kagome pleaded, “can we talk? I want to apologize.” Again, she received no answer. Confused, Kagome cracked open the door, and peered in through the crack. She could see a small part of his head. “So, he is in here.” Kagome whispered to herself as she opened the door more, and walked in. Inuyasha lay under the covers of the bed on his stomach, his arms wrapped under the pillow. Kagome could see all of the muscles in his back move under his pale skin as he shifted in his sleep. _He looks so peaceful,_ Kagome thought, as she stood near the foot of the canopy bed, an arm wrapped around the bed post. The light breeze coming in from the open balcony doors rustled his hair, that was tossed to one side of his head. 

“Kagome...” She heard him call out her voice in his sleep and she covered her mouth, her cheeks turning red. _Shit!_ “Why are you in my room?” His eyes fluttered open as he flipped over on the bed, and sat up against the pillows. He stared at the girl who was extremely flustered and unable to concentrate at the moment. 

_Oh._

“Well- I... you see..” Kagome stuttered, as Inuyasha raised an eyebrow. _It’s kind of hard to concentrate with a body like THAT sitting across from you!_ Kagome thought to herself, as she bit her thumb. “I came to apologize, and I saw that you were asleep.” Kagome admitted, and then pointed behind her, “I was just about to leave so I’m just gonna...” she trailed off, as she turned on her heel and started to walk out of the room. Inuyasha snorted. 

“Kagome.” She turned at the sound of her voice, her cheeks still flushed a rose color. “Wait.” Her stomach did a small somersault at the sound of his groggy, raspy voice. His voice was usually raspy and low, but this was next level. Kagome watched as he pulled himself out of bed, and walked out onto his balcony. Kagome followed after him. And stood beside him, as he leaned on the railing, staring out at the view 

“Yeah?” Kagome asked shyly, placing her hands on the cold metal railing. She looked out at the view. There was a beat of silence. “Look, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have hit you. That was completely uncalled for. I promise I’ll never do it again-” 

Inuyasha shook his head, and sighed, turning to look at her. “I don’t care about that.” He said, staring at Kagome straight in her eyes. He looked almost to be searching for something in her eyes, although she couldn’t quite figure out what it was. “I have a question for you.” He announced, running a hand through his hair. Kagome raised an eyebrow at him. “Relax,” he cooed, “I’m not going to bite your head off.” 

“Okay...” Kagome responded wearily, crossing her arms over her chest. “Can we do this quickly, because I’m really cold.” Kagome said, shivering slightly in her spot. Inuyasha disappeared into his room, and came back with a blanket. “Thanks.” she murmured, as she pulled it over her shoulders. _Why is he being so nice all of a sudden? What’s with him?_

“Are you afraid of me?”He asked the question in a curious tone, tilting his head to one side. Kagome gave him a bewildered look. “I yelled at you, when we were signing that contract and you looked scared for a second. Today you attacked me. You cowered away in my apartment when I picked up Miroku.” Inuyasha shrugged his shoulders, shoving his hands into his pajama pants pockets. Kagome gulped, and looked down. “And yet...you also have times when you seem completely unafraid of me at all.” He squinted his eyes at Kagome, and took a step forward. “What’s with you?” He asked softly, offering a small, fleeting smile. 

“I..” Kagome started, seeing how close she now was to the dog demon. “I...” 

“You?” Inuyasha asked, teasingly. 

“I don’t feel comfortable talking about that.” Kagome said, and took off the blanket, shoving it into Inuyasha’s chest. He blinked in confusion and watched as Kagome quickly walked out of his room. He followed her. 

“Kagome it’s a simple question!” He said, slumping his shoulders, staring across the suite at Kagome. 

“It doesn’t have a simple answer.” Kagome firmly retorted, opening her door. Inuyasha groaned, and rolled his eyes. “Good night Inuyasha!” Kagome said over her shoulder, and entered her room, slamming the door shut behind her. Inuyasha exhaled heavily, and turned on his heel. He threw himself onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling. _No simple answer,_ Inuyasha repeated in his mind, as he turned over on his side, and fell asleep. 

Kagome came to at the sound of banging at the hotel room door. Her eyes fluttered open and she hissed as light streamed in from her open balcony. Sighing, she got up from bed and shuffled over to the door. “I’m coming!” Kagome yelled, as she shuffled groggily over to the door and opened it, revealing a frantic Miroku. “Oh...good morning.” Kagome said, through a yawn. Miroku merely nodded at her and ran into Inuyasha’s room. Kagome blinked, confused. 

“Inuyasha wake the _fuck_ up! You’re going to be late!” She heard Miroku yell, as he pulled the covers off of Inuyasha’s body. Inuyasha groaned, and pulled the pillow further under his head. “Wake up you lazy dog!” Miroku grumbled loudly, pushing Inuyasha off of the bed. Kagome giggled from Inuyasha’s doorway as she watched him roll lazily off of his bed, and then huddle comfortably on the carpet. Miroku sighed and whizzed past Kagome and into the small kitchen area, pulling a small bucket of ice out of the freezer. He hurried back into the bedroom and threw the ice onto Inuyasha’s face. He gasped for air as he got up, one hand on his chest. 

“I’m up! I’m up!” Inuyasha yelled, and grumbled at Miroku when he realized he was the one who threw the ice on him. “Fuck you Miroku.” He said plainly to his friend, and then turned his attention to Kagome. He looked at her up and down, and then nodded to her. 

“Nice to see you two are on cordial terms, however _we_ have to get to the weigh in downstairs in thirty minutes, so pull on a shirt, and brush your teeth and lets fucking go!” Miroku hissed at Inuyasha through gritted teeth. Inuyasha groaned as he searched through his duffle bag for a plain t-shirt. He found a plain black one and pulled it over his head as he shuffled over to his bathroom, and closed the door. Miroku turned toward Kagome who was staring at the bathroom. “Did you guys have sex or something?” Miroku asked Kagome, as he arched an eyebrow up at her. Kagome choked on air. “C’mon, you’re staring at him like he’s a piece of wagyu beef. Dame Kagome, Dame.” Miroku tapped Kagome lightly on her head, causing Kagome to scrunch up her nose. “No good, Kagome.” 

“Absolutely not.” Kagome snorted, as she walked over to her own room, “I’m going to order room service and put it on his credit card!” She called over her shoulder, “let dog boy know, will you?” Kagome added, winking at her friend. Miroku sighed, and shook his head. 

Inuyasha emerged from his bathroom, and gave himself a once over in the mirror on the dresser. Miroku sighed from the doorway and tapped his watch. “I’m going, I’m going.” Inuyasha groaned at his friend, brushing his long hair a little bit, before he threw it up into a messy bun. 

“Kagome’s getting room service on your card.” Miroku said to Inuyasha as they walked out of the door. Inuyasha shrugged his shoulders at his friend. Miroku raised his hands up in defense. “Look, I’m just the messenger. She wanted to let you know.” 

“I don’t care what she does.” Inuyasha scoffed, pressing the button to call the elevator. 

After having ordered herself a large breakfast from the-very expensive- room service menu, Kagome lazed on the couch, flipping through the TV channels in the living room flat screen. _Miroku_ _said the weigh in would be on TV, right?_ Kagome thought to herself, as she flipped through the TV, before landing on ESPN. She made herself on the couch, and grabbed one of the decorative cushions, holding it to her chest. She watched a few fighters weigh in, and pose for a picture facing each other, before Inuyasha’s name being chanted caught her attention. She smiled softly to herself, as she watched him strip down to his underwear and stand on the scale, smiling as his weight was announced. He winked at the camera, and gave a confident smile, flexing his biceps. Kagome could faintly see Miroku behind him, off to one side of the camera, he had a serious look on his face. She could also see Myoga beside Miroku, sighing in relief when he heard that Inuyasha made weight. Inuyasha got off of the scale, and watched as his opponent stripped down as well. The opponent stood on the scale, and Kagome gasped. “No fucking way!” She squealed, covering her mouth with her hand. “It’s Koga!” She shouted to herself, and watched as the Inuyasha and Koga took on a fighting stance for the picture. She saw Koga mutter something to Inuyasha, and Inuyasha whispered something back, causing Koga to lunge over the arm of the person between them. She saw Inuyasha quickly back away and make a confused look at the camera, as if to say ‘what’s his deal?’. 

It was at this moment that Kagome realized that Saturday night would be more entertaining than she thought, and she found herself becoming jittery with excitement. She quickly jumped off of the couch, and ran into her room, reaching for her phone to call Sango back in New York City. 


	5. "Not enough"

_ Sexy.  _

It was a word Kagome rarely heard in combination with her name, unless it was coming from Sango or one of her other friends in an effort to raise her confidence. So, to Kagome, suddenly being thrown into the limelight and having strangers with cameras calling her sexy and telling her she was beautiful—was jarring, to say the least. However, sexy is exactly how she felt. Her hair was in a half up, half down hairstyle, with loose curls. She wore dangly gold earrings, and had a golden smoky eye, with a bold red lip. She had a manicure and pedicure done in the morning with  Rin , so her fingernails were painted a nude color that matched her heels. The thigh slits running up either side of her dress showed off her toned legs, and the dress was tight around her waist, making it seem smaller than it appeared. “You’re stealing all of my attention.” Inuyasha uttered next to her, as they made their way into the venue. He was wearing fitted black dress pants, with a tight white dress shirt, the top few buttons were purposefully left undone. Over the shirt, he wore a black suit jacket, also fitted. Kagome was his accessory. Kagome smiled, as she tucked a stray stand of hair behind her ear. The door to the venue was opened, and Inuyasha and Kagome quickly walked in, hand and hand.  She glanced over at him, and remembered his expression when he saw her dressed in the hotel suite. 

_ “Kagome, are you ready?”  _ _ Inuyasha _ _ asked, annoyed. He felt his stomach tie into knots and he took a deep breathe. No matter how many fights he’s won, he always got nervous in the hours leading up to one. He looked himself over in the hallway mirror, adjusting the cufflinks on his suit jacket. He wore fitted black dress pants, and a black fitted suit jacket. He wore a silk dress shirt, and left the top few buttons undone, showing just a bit of his chest. His silver hair was in a messy bun on his head. He picked up his glass of whiskey from the table in front of the mirror as he leaned against the wall, watching Kagome’s door. “I can’t be late to this!” Inuyasha called from his place, clearly irritable now. He looked down at his watch, and rolled his eyes. “ _ _ Kagom _ _ -!” He was caught off guard when Kagome emerged from her room. She looked even better now than she did back in the dressing room a few days ago. Half of her hair was in a bun, and the other half hung in very loose curls. She had gold smoky eye and she wore red lipstick. Her usual stud diamond earrings were switched out for dangly gold earrings and in her hand, she held a small, gold clutch. “Um...”  _ _ Inuyasha _ _ said, smirking. He set down his whisky glass. “Wow.” He finished, raising his eyebrows at Kagome, nodding his head.  _

_ “Thank you.” Kagome said shyly. She looked at  _ _ Inuyasha _ _ and extended a hand, “you look great, just to go get all beat up.”  _ _ Inuyasha _ _ rolled his eyes at Kagome, and motioned with his head toward the door. _

“Isn’t that like...the whole point?” Kagome said back, through a smile. A camera was put on her and  Inuyasha as they walked through the venue. She could hear a voice announce their arrival. They turned a corner, and walked down the hall. By then, Kagome had let go of  Inuyasha’s arm, and was walking beside him, although she was having a little trouble keeping up with his speed. 

“I guess so,” Inuyasha spat back, as he opened a door that had his name on it, leading them into a large locker room. He clapped his hands together once and cheered. “Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls...the king has arrived.” Kagome rolled her eyes at Inuyasha’s remark. 

“Go get dressed.” Myoga ordered, throwing a duffel bag in  Inuyasha’s direction. He caught it, and quickly disappeared into the bathroom area to the left of them. Myoga stared at Kagome, and smiled. “Lady Kagome...you look spectacular, as always.” He gave a slight bow of his head, causing Kagome to blush. 

“Thank you, Myoga.” Kagome said cheerfully. She put a hand on his shoulder as she walked past him and toward  Sesshomaru , Rin and  Miroku . She greeted Rin with a hug, and waved to  Sesshomaru and  Miroku .  Miroku and  Sesshomaru raised their glasses to Kagome. 

“Kagome.”  Sesshomaru said simply, “pleasure to see you.” He took a sip from the cup he was holding, a rum and coke. “Excited for the fight?” He asked, giving her a little grin. The hair on the back of Kagome’s neck stood up. 

_ God, seeing this dude smile gives me the creeps.  _ Kagome thought. She never had the chance to see  Sesshomaru smile, as he didn’t even seem to smile when he looked at Rin. Kagome glanced over at Rin, and saw her beam a smile up to  Sesshomaru . “Yes, actually.” Kagome said, laughing as she was handed a drink from  Miroku . The two men and Kagome clinked their plastic cups together. “To  Inuyasha !” Kagome cheered, as  Inuyasha emerged from the bathroom, his hair was in two, tight  dutch braids starting behind his ears. Only his bangs adored his face. She raised her cup to him and he rolled his eyes. “We’re toasting to you, you dimwit.” Kagome spat at him. He waved his hand at her, and walked over to Myoga, who began wrapping his hands. She turned her attention back to  Sesshomaru and  Miroku , “I actually met his opponent a few days ago.” Kagome announced. 

“You what?” Rin asked, confused. “How’d that happen?” Her head tilted slightly, and her hair brushed over her shoulders, she wore an emerald green pantsuit, with silver  jewelry .  Miroku nodded. 

“Yeah I’m curious about that.”  Miroku chimed in, shoving his hand into his suit pant pocket. “How’d that happen.” He glanced over Kagome’s shoulder to see  Inuyasha glaring at Kagome’s back as Myoga attentively wrapped his hands. “Stop.”  Miroku mouthed to him, and then quickly turned his attention back to Kagome, smiling at her. 

“Well this was the day you asked me to go over to discuss and sign-” She noticed that  Sesshomaru’s eyes widened, and he shook his head quickly, glancing down at Rin. Taking the que, Kagome continued her story, “I mean  Inuyasha –sorry- had to go over to renew his contract. I got to the office after him, and I held open the elevator for Koga. We talked a little, although he doesn’t seem to like  Inuyasha .” She looked over her shoulder at the  hanyou , who glared at her. “I can’t begin to understand why.” She said sarcastically. “I got really excited yesterday when I found out,” Kagome laughed slightly, “I was a little nervous I’d tire you out by tapping you to explain everything to me.”

“If you like him so much then why don’t you go with him?”  Inuyasha questioned Kagome, and then winced when he felt Myoga tug hard on the wraps. “Ow.” 

Miroku ignored him. “ Oh, that makes sense,”  Miroku said, shrugging his shoulders, “they’re both signed under the same agency.” Kagome nodded at  Miroku , and continued sipping on the drink  Miroku gave her, through a straw, lest she ruin her lipstick. 

“Oh, I almost forgot!” Kagome said, as she pulled away from her drink, “who are those two guys who keep following us around?” She asks, and turns in her spot, opening the question to everyone, though she specifically looked at  Inuyasha . 

Inuyasha looked around himself, and located the two men standing by the door, having their own conversation. “Those guys?” He pointed at them, and Kagome nodded. “ Yo !”  Inuyasha called to them, prompting them to come to his side. After Myoga finished bandaging his hands and helping him put on his grappling gloves, he patted the taller one on the shoulders. Kagome noticed that he had purple markings trailing down his skin. He was tall, but only slightly taller than  Inuyasha , and seemed to have more lean muscle as opposed to  Inuyasha , who had slightly bulkier muscle. “This is  Renkotsu . He’s my sparring partner for kickboxing.”  Renkotsu bowed his head slightly to Kagome.  Inuyasha then moved over to the slightly shorter one. His body type resembled  Inuyasha’s more. He was tan, his hair was held back in a loose braid and had a four-point star marking in purple in the middle of his forehead. “This guy is  Bankotsu . He’s my jiu-jitsu partner.”  Bankotsu nodded toward Kagome. Kagome smiled at them, and the two men turned their attention to Myoga, and started asking him questions. 

“Why did they come along?” Kagome asked, and  Inuyasha rolled his eyes, groaning at her. “What did I do now,  Inuyasha ?” She asked,  exasperated with his attitude. 

“You ask a lot of questions. Shut up, dumbass.” He said to her, rolling his shoulder and practicing a little. Kagome rolled her eyes at him. “Look,” He stood in his spot, giving Kagome an angry look, “I’m not going to answer any of your stupid questions right now, okay? Run along to your puppet master.”  Inuyasha retorted to Kagome, pointing at  Miroku as Myoga yelled at  Inuyasha to fix his form. Kagome turned to  Miroku , who shrugged his shoulders. 

“So, you’re just going to let him talk to me like that?” She threw at  Miroku , who raised his hands in defense. Rin let go of  Sesshomaru , and rushed over to Kagome’s side, putting a hand on her shoulder. 

“Hey...hey! You look stunning. Don’t bother losing your temper over  Inuyasha , okay? You’re here to look pretty, and have fun.” Rin cooed, rubbing Kagome’s shoulder with her hand. “You look absolutely breathtaking Kagome, don’t let men ruin it for you.” Kagome turned her head to Rin, and smiled at her.  _ I’m so glad  _ _ there's _ _ another woman here,  _ Kagome thought to herself, as there was a knock at the door. 

“ Inuyasha . Are you ready?” A voice asked,  prompting Kagome to furrow her eyebrows at  Miroku . 

“Security guard that guides him out.”  Sesshomaru said, walking up to Rin and putting hand on the small of her back, “That’s also our key to leave.” he added, looking down at Rin. Rin nodded in response and let  Sesshomaru guide her out of the locker room. As he passed by  Inuyasha , he told him “beat him to a pulp.” 

“So, when do I go out?” Kagome asked  Miroku , who smiled at her and rubbed her shoulders as he stood behind her. Kagome looked over at  Inuyasha as he jogged in place, she could see a twinkle in his eyes; determination, hunger,  _ red _ .  _ He looks so...fierce.  _ Kagome thought as she rolled her shoulders into  Miroku’s hands.  Inuyasha broke his concentration for a second and looked behind him to the two, and then did a double take. 

“ Miroku ,”  Inuyasha said darkly, lifting up a gloved fist, “I swear to god...”  Miroku backed away from Kagome, and put his hands up in defense. “You fucking lecher, go text her friend- we paid good money for Kagome to be mine, so stop it!” 

“Strangely defensive aren’t we now, Master  Inuyasha ?” Myoga said from beside  Inuyasha , he huffed and folded his arms across his chest. 

“ Inuyasha , are you ready? Yes or no?” The voice called again, and  Inuyasha closed his eyes for a second, and breathed in deeply, exhaling slowly.  Inuyasha looked toward Myoga and his sparring partners, and nodded his head. Myoga nodded back to him, punching him in the arm. 

“We’re ready!” Myoga yelled, letting the security guard open the door. Myoga and  Inuyasha’s sparring partners walked out quickly in front of  Inuyasha .  Inuyasha glanced over his shoulder at Miroku, and winked as he walked out of the locker room. 

“Let’s go.”  Miroku said, gently pushing Kagome ahead. “Remember to have fun. Don’t freak out if he’s hurt.  Keep cool. You’ll be great.” 

Kagome nodded, and confidently followed  Inuyasha out of the locker room, shooting a flirtatious look at the security guard that held the door open. She watched  Inuyasha’s back as he rolled his shoulders and twisted his body, stretching as he walked. “You’ll do great.” Kagome said, as they approached the tunnel. She could feel the bass of  Inuyasha’s entrance song in her bones, it rattled her being and she could feel her own adrenaline coursing through her body. She couldn’t fight down the smile that broke across her face. She looked back at  Miroku , who smiled back at her, happy that she was enjoying herself. She turned forward as they exited the tunnel. She could hear fans screaming  Inuyasha’s name, screaming  _ her  _ name. She saw  Inuyasha turn to look back her, giving her a closed lip smile once he heard her name being chanted along hers. Kagome waved at a few people excitedly. As they approached the octagon,  Inuyasha turned, to walk backward. 

“Go with  Miroku , and sit next to  Sesshomaru and Rin.” He said, as he reached to her and wrapped his arms around her neck. He gave her a small kiss on her cheek, and then on her forehead and motioned for  Miroku to take her to their seats. Kagome tried her hardest not to look confused, as  Inuyasha turned around and went up the steps to the gate, he waited for someone to open the door that let him in. 

Miroku quickly guided Kagome over to her seat next to Rin in the very front row on  Inuyasha’s side. Rin tapped her on the shoulder, and smiled. “Are you excited?  Inuyasha never loses!” Rin asked Kagome, yelling over all of the noise. Kagome smiled back at Rin and nodded. 

“Weirdly I am! I’ve never been to a fight before! Usually I’m watching them at a bar with some friends!” Kagome yelled back, and looked up at the jumbotron, which showed her face on it. She laughed and crossed her legs.  _ This cannot possibly be my life,  _ Kagome thought,  _ I’m sitting front seat at the main of a fight night! My date is  _ _ Inuyasha _ _ , I’m wearing an expensive dress, rubbing elbows with the crème de la crème.  _ Kagome sighed as she looked into the Octagon through the caging. He was jogging sideways around the cage, and warming up his body.  Miroku tapped Kagome on her shoulder, causing her to look in his direction. 

“The fight is five rounds, five minutes each with a one-minute resting period,”  Miroku explained as he watched  Inuyasha warm up, and Myoga yell at him from outside of the octagon. He glanced over at Kagome to make sure she was listening and continued, “ Inuyasha enjoys fighting, so he likes being quick and dirty though.” He looked up as Koga’s entrance began to play. “Koga Wolf despises  Inuyasha , and I’m not quite sure why—he may be aggressive right out the gate today. Either way,  Inuyasha can adapt his strategies fairly quickly.” 

Kagome nodded as she listened to  Miroku describe some of the general rules, and watched as Koga got into the octagon. His eyes locked with hers as he walked into the ring and he winked at her. Kagome gave a small smile in reply. “So, when does it start—like officially?” She asked, glancing down at her phone to see the time. It was 10 o’clock at night in Las Vegas, meaning it had to be somewhere around one or two in the morning back in New York City. Her mind wandered back to Sango, who promised Kagome that she would watch, no matter how much caffeine she had to drink to remain awake. She giggled to herself at the thought.  Miroku looked down at his watch, and then adjusted his suit jacket. 

“In a few minutes.”  Miroku said, and sighed, bouncing his leg nervously. “I can’t help but get nervous every time he fights...” he trailed off, his hands pressed together against his face, from next to Rin,  Sesshomaru leaned over, looking Miroku. 

“I agree with your sentiments.” He commented, his waist length hair now pulled up into a neat bun at the top of his head. “I’m sure he will be fine. No need to distress ourselves. He doesn’t like that, remember?” 

“Yeah...you’re right.”  Miroku responded, taking a deep breathe. 

The group watched as  Inuyasha and Koga warmed up on opposite sides of the ring, before the referee called them together, Kagome’s breathe hitched in her throat. “Here we go.” She  whispered to herself. 

In the octagon  Inuyasha stared down Koga, and  _ hated  _ the confidence he had in himself, as if he wasn’t a worthy opponent. As they were brought together by the referee,  Inuyasha growled at Koga. “You couldn’t touch me on my worse day.”  Inuyasha teased, cracking his neck. Koga laughed at him. “You’re a piece of shit!” He touched his glove with Koga, and then backed away. 

“I’m coming for your belt next!” Koga taunted, waiting for  Inuyasha to strike, “or maybe I’ll take your bitch.” He added, looking over  Inuyasha’s shoulder to Kagome. “Or maybe,” He said, throwing a punch,  Inuyasha dodged it, “maybe I’ll take your belt first, and then your bitch?” 

A minute into the fight,  Inuyasha already had blood on his gloves. He grappled with Koga, manning his punches to his shins as he held Koga’s head and arm between his legs. His hands resting at the top of Koga’s head. The referee gave a look over the form, and determined Koga could still go on. He grunted as Koga slipped between his legs, and rolled out from under him as Koga quickly turned around and attempted to punch him. There was a fire in his eyes.  _ Finally,  _ Inuyasha thought,  _ he’s awake.  _ He observed the cut he made above Koga’s brow, how the blood from it covered the left side of his face.  Inuyasha breathed heavily, holding up his fists. “Come on, Wolf.”  Inuyasha taunted, kicking his shin hard into Koga’s liver, bringing him to his knees. He glanced over at Kagome, who was watching, and felt a fist connect with his face.  Inuyasha stumbled, however he quickly regained his composure, and lunged forward, diving Koga’s torso. He picked him up, body slamming him to the ground. He felt the floor of the octagon jolt up as he straddled Koga, repeatedly punching him in the face. Koga quickly overpowered him, now  Inuyasha found himself on his back. He made an upward kick to Koga’s chin, causing Koga to throw his head back.  Inuyasha got himself back to his feet, his breathing heavy. Koga was sluggish, but he was able to get a punch into  Inuyasha’s side, causing him to wince in pain and his knee buckled, but he remained strong.  _ If only I could get a punch straight in the jaw,  _ Inuyasha thought, as Koga jabbed at side again, he growled in annoyance, and threw a hook at his jaw. Immediately Koga fell to the floor, and  Inuyasha ran toward him, he wrapped his legs around Koga’s arm, and wrapped his arm around his wrist. Koga looked over at him, his face losing all color.  Inuyasha smiled, as he started to pull Koga’s arm up toward his chin, arching his back against the octagon floor. Koga locked his arms together at his fingers, and turned on his side. Having escaped  Inuyasha’s arm bar he reached upward and punched him in the nose, causing  Inuyasha to fall on his back. 

Koga quickly fell onto  Inuyasha , delivering blows, blood splattering over the floor of the ring. The referee rushed over, putting his arms between Koga and  Inuyasha’s face, signifying that he had to stop. “Can you continue?!” The referee asked  Inuyasha , making  Inuyasha quickly get to his feet and tackle Koga against the fence of the octagon, kneeing Koga repeatedly in the ribs. He felt Koga’s legs wrap around his waist, and he allowed him to get off from against the fence. Koga wrapped his arms around  Inuyasha’s neck, attempting to choke him.  Inuyasha was growing annoyed with Koga’s games. He felt Koga’s legs unwrap from his waist, and he positioned himself within Koga’s knees. He reached up and grabbed one of arms and ducked, flipping Koga over onto his back. He saw blood fall from his own mouth onto the floor.  Inuyasha moved to be in front of his opponent, and as he struggled to find his footing,  Inuyasha struck him hard in the jaw, and then threw a punch to his nose, with his opposite hand. He watched as Koga fell to the ground. His head made a loud thud as it hit the octagon floor. The referee came forward, and made a motion with his arms, signifying that Koga was officially knocked out. Security flooded the cage as  Inuyasha climbed out of it, and rushed to hug his sparring partners. He then climbed back over the cage, and took off his mouthguard, revealing bloody teeth. 

His entire body was covered in blood really, a mix of his own and Koga’s. Blood trailed out of his nose and out of the lacerations on his face from Koga’s punches. Bruises began to form at his ribs and a bruise had already formed in the area where his liver was. He felt  Renkotsu and  Bankotsu come up behind him, draping his arms over their shoulders. “Thank you.” He breathed, leaning his head onto  Renkotsu’s . He heard Kagome call out his name, as she ran into the octagon, taking short, careful strides. 

Kagome wrapped her arms around  Inuyasha’s torso, and felt him stiffen and wince with pain. She quickly let go of him, and examined his face. “ Inuyasha your face...” she trailed off, tracing a finger over his lips and swollen eye.  Inuyasha swatted away her hands. 

“Don’t touch me.” He said lowly, and then put on a cheerful expression at the sight of the fight commentator. Kagome moved away slightly, standing next to  Inuyasha , in front of Bankotsu. 

“ Inuyasha you  _ just  _ knocked out Koga Wolf, with forty seconds to spare in the first round, how do you feel?” He asked, putting his microphone in front of  Inuyasha . He smiled, looking up at his face in the jumbotron above them. 

“I feel fantastic, although I  I know I don’t look it.” He commented, prompting a laugh from those around him, “I’m grateful I was given another opportunity to fight, and demonstrate why I’m the best. Koga put on a brave front; I applaud his work.” Kagome glanced up at  Inuyasha , knowing he was lying.  Inuyasha fixated his eyes on Koga’s corner, where he was helped down the stairs by security guards and his team. “I fight like I’ve got nothing to lose, even when I have everything to lose.”  Inuyasha said, breathlessly. 

“Do you have any plans for after the fight? You took some pretty serious blows.” The commentator asked.  Inuyasha looked over to the commentator, noticing the backhandedness of his comment. 

“No parties for me today.”  Inuyasha said dryly, shaking his head. He moved his arm over  Bankotsu’s head, and draped it over Kagome’s shoulders. Kagome smiled, holding his wrist with her hand. “I look horrible; besides, my lady here doesn’t like parties much.” He added. He looked over  Renkotsu’s shoulders, and spit out blood that collected in his mouth. 

The commentator chuckled, and turned to Kagome. “How do you feel?” Kagome looked speechlessly up to Inuyasha, who stared at her, expecting her to answer. 

“Nervous.” Kagome said shyly, laughing. “I feel nervous, but proud of  Inuyasha and the name he’s made for himself.” She added, nodding her head. “He gave his all today and came out victorious, not that I expected any les from the champ.” She added, resting her head on his shoulder. She felt  Inuyasha’s arm stiffen. It was hard for her to focus with the constant shuddering of the cameras and the lights and microphones in her eyes and face. “I’m so proud to say I’m  Inuyasha Takahashi’s girlfriend.” She added. Mentally, she cringed as the words left her lips. She watched as  Sesshomaru , Rin and  Miroku stared from the outside of the cage, Rin’s eyes were teary. The comments and questions wrapped up quickly, as the reporters started to realize the extent to  Inuyasha’s injuries. Kagome walked slowly behind  Inuyasha and his sparring partners as they gently guided him out of the octagon and down the steps. She noticed the limp he had as he made his way toward Myoga, who patted his shoulder and threw his arm over his shoulders. 

“He’s hurt bad. Internally.”  Miroku said quietly as Kagome walked down the steps. Rin nodded. “He might need to go to the hospital, but knowing him he’s too stubborn to admit it.” 

“He’s half demon.”  Sesshomaru reminded, gently. “His injuries will subside within a week. He will be fine.” He said, as he took Rin by the hand, and followed after his half-brother. Rin wiped some of her tears away with her finger nail as she followed quickly after him. Kagome followed suit, although she trailed behind with Miroku.

“That might have been the longest four minutes twenty seconds in my entire life.” Kagome sighed. “His face. Is it always that bad?” Kagome asked, causing  Miroku to shake his head. 

“No, not usually. I told you, Koga hates  Inuyasha . He took his hatred out on his face.” He stuffed his hands into his pockets. Kagome nodded her head, biting the tip of her thumb. “We should pick up the pace and catch up to them.” 

Kagome hurried with  Miroku into the tunnel that they came out of, and quickly walked to the locker room. She was worried for him, genuinely, although she couldn’t quite understand why. He had been nothing but rude and disrespectful to her, despite her telling him that she would not tolerate it. But he had also made sure she was warm when she was cold, and bought her perfume (which she still did not understand why he did), tried to get to know her, and it’s only been a week. 

_ He kissed me...twice. _

She felt a lump form in her throat as she pulled open the door to the locker room, and saw Inuyasha sitting in a chair, his nails digging into his ribcage. “ Inuyasha ?” She asked weakly, seeing the pain he was in. Myoga tried to get him to stand, so he could bandage him. “No!” Kagome cried, throwing her clutch into  Miroku’s hands. “Take him to the bathroom...let him shower. Then bandage.” She kicked off her heels and ran forward.  Sesshomaru held out his hand, signifying her to stop. 

“I’ll do it.” He said, and took off his suit jacket. He rolled up the sleeves of his shirt and walked over to his younger brother, propping him up against him, he led him to the bathroom. Kagome looked over at Rin who looked worriedly after the two. 

“It’s okay.” Kagome said, walking toward Rin. “Your brother-in-law will be fine.” 

“He almost lost today...” Myoga said, looking down at the blood covered gloves on the floor. “He’s never lost.” He whispered, shaking his head. “I can’t believe it.” He turned his attention toward  Miroku , who offered him a small smile of support. “He has to be more focused; he’s getting too cocky.” Myoga resolved, earning a nod from  Miroku . 

“Would you stop?” Rin said angrily, as she opened  Inuyasha’s duffle bag and pulled out a pair of sweatpants and a hoodie, “the poor guy is hurt. Stop critiquing him.” Kagome nodded her head,  _ for once I agree about something regarding him.  _ Rin walked hurriedly into the bathroom, and placed the clothing on the sink, and placed his sneakers at the entrance way. Kagome walked back to wear her heels were, and put them back on.  Miroku handed her back her clutch.  Sesshomaru emerged with  Inuyasha from the bathroom, holding his hoodie in his hand.  Inuyasha’s hair was wet and stuck to his cheeks—but his wounds were clean, and covered.  Inuyasha pushed himself off of  Sesshomaru , and limped over to a chair. He sat down, and put on his shoes. He winced in pain as he bent down, but bared it. 

“Do you need help?”  Miroku asked his friend, pushing himself off of the wall he was leaning on.  Inuyasha shook his head as he pulled on his hoodie, slowly.  Miroku nodded. 

“Do you want water?” Rin offered, and again  Inuyasha shook his head. Kagome noticed Rin bite her tongue, deciding against asking  Inuyasha if he needed any help. 

After gathering their things, they left the locker room and headed out of the arena.  Miroku helped  Inuyasha climb into the backseat of the SUV. For the first time since Kagome started following them,  Inuyasha didn’t smile for the cameras. He didn’t answer questions. “I just want to go.” He kept saying, although Kagome could understand why. If she beaten to the ground and nearly lost a fight—she would undoubtedly want to head straight to bed, and sleep to her hearts content. The car ride back to the hotel was again filled with silence. Kagome looked over to  Inuyasha , who had his hood over his head, his arms crossed as his head rested against the window. She sighed as she looked out of her own window, watching as the bright lights blurred together as they passed by.  _ This is not how I thought the night would end.  _ She thought, resting her chin in the palm of her hand.  Miroku parted ways with  Inuyasha and Kagome at the hotel lobby, and reminded Kagome that they would be leaving at three in the afternoon the following day. She nodded, and waved as she and  Inuyasha made their way over to the elevators, albeit slowly as his legs were in pain. Kagome pressed on the button to call the elevator. 

“Are you going to be okay?” Kagome asked, after clearing her throat.  Inuyasha looked over at her, with his one good eye. “You seem to be in a lot of pain.” She clarified, walking behind  Inuyasha into the elevator. Once inside she pressed the button with their floor number.  Inuyasha dismissed her concerns. 

“I’ll be completely fine.” He said, through gritted teeth as he leaned against the wall of the elevator. “In a week I’ll be back to normal.”  Inuyasha said, shrugging his shoulders, although even that caused him pain. 

“But Koga is a full demon.” Kagome commented. The elevator doors opened, and she stepped out and into the hallway. “And you’re-” 

“A half demon.”  Inuyasha said bitterly, walking past Kagome. His knees buckled under him, but he grabbed onto a wall, and pulled his body back up. “I wish people would stop thinking I’m weaker than them because I’m a half demon.” It was clear to Kagome now, that his race was a touchy subject for him. She stiffened in her spot, unsure of what to do. “Being a half demon doesn’t mean shit.”  Inuyasha muttered, as he pulled the hotel keycard put of his pocket, and touched it against the door handle. He opened the door to the suite, and Kagome followed him inside. “I beat the fuck out of Koga.” He said darkly, swiping at the glass of whiskey he left by the entrance. Kagome gasped as she saw the glass shatter on the floor, and the liquid stain the carpet. 

“I never said you were weak.” Kagome said, putting her clutch on the table near the entrance. She stepped gingerly over the broken glass, and followed  Inuyasha into his room. She watched as he kicked off his shoes, and threw himself onto the bed. 

“You don’t have to,”  Inuyasha retorted, as he carefully pulled the covers over his body. Kagome sighed as she grabbed the covers from  Inuyasha’s hands, and pulled them up over him. He turned on his side, giving her his back. “you implied it.” 

“I didn’t imply shit!” Kagome yelled at him, and  Inuyasha turned over slowly, and looked up at her. “What?” 

“You’re so lucky.” He said, “You,  Sesshomaru ,  Miroku ...Rin....you’re all so, so lucky.” He sighed. Kagome gave him a bewildered look. “You aren’t half anything. You don’t walk this earth wondering where you fit in.” Kagome crossed her arms at him, and rolled her eyes. 

“What are you talking about?” She asked him, sitting at the foot of his bed. 

“All the money in the world won’t fix the fact that I’m a  _ hanyou _ _.  _ I’m never good enough. I’m not human enough...not demon enough...not strong enough.” Kagome noticed the softness in his voice, she realized that he was disappointed in himself.  _ But is it only because of tonight?  _

“I’m sorry.” Kagome said, hanging her head. “I didn’t think it was touchy subject for you.” She felt genuinely bad for reminding him of something that she realized was now one of his biggest insecurities. “I was just trying to-” 

“You always seem to make me talk about my deepest insecurities.”  Inuyasha cut in suddenly, with new found anger. He winced in pain and sighed. “I hate it. Get out.” His jaw clenched as he rolled over on his back, staring up at the ceiling. 

Kagome nodded, “right then.” She said, and walked out of his room, closing the door behind her, and made her way to her own room. 

_ Even the people who the hardest exteriors are worried about fitting into society,  _ Kagome thought, as she opened the door to her room,  _ what a shame.  _


	6. "Diatribes"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS CHAPTER IS SHORTER. BUT IT'S CONTENTS ARE BRUTAL. CHAPTER DEALS WITH ALCOHOLISM, AND SUICIDAL THOUGHTS. PLEASE READ AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION.  
> Also, if you or a loved one deals with things like this. I truly am sorry, please know that help is out there. You will get through this.  
>   
> Thank you for reading!

There was a moment. A small fleeting, almost insignificant moment, in which  Inuyasha felt like crying. He felt the salty water well up in his large golden eyes, threatening to spill over and roll down his skin. Two weeks had passed since his fight against Koga. His injuries had subsided, the bruises were long gone, and the wounds on his face were closed; his one swollen eye was back to normal. However, his body was still in pain. He sat in the dark of his luxury apartment, in his living room. His laptop was connected to his tv as he watched the four minute and twenty second fight, watching as Koga lunged forward and started delivering blows to his face, each time he saw his fist connect with his face...his body remembered the pain, as if it was still fresh. “Fuck!”  Inuyasha yelled, throwing the bottle of Jameson into the black marble floor. He watched angrily as the honey colored liquor spilled out over the floor, glistening over the broken glass. It was his second bottle, and it was now empty. Sighing,  Inuyasha pulled himself off the comfort of his leather couch, and shuffled over to his kitchen. He pulled out a bottle of wine from the little wine cooler built into the bottom cabinets. He stuck his claw into the cork at the top of the bottle, twisted his finger, and pulled it out. He pulled the cork off his finger nail with his teeth, and then spat it into the sink. He looked over his counter to the TV, as the moment he knocked Koga out replayed. He heard the roar of his name, and watched as he climbed the octagon cage. Rushing to hug his coach and sparring partners. For a moment, the sadness left him, but that moment, too, was fleeting. 

His heart raced as he took a long swig of the bottle, and stumbled his way over to his couch. He stood behind it, one hand grabbing the edge of the leather, his claws scraping into the leather, small fracture lines formed. He growled as he  re-watched the fight. 

_ “Or maybe,” Koga said, throwing a punch,  _ _ Inuyasha _ _ dodged, “maybe I’ll take your belt first, then steal your bitch?”  _

His life, up to this point, was riddled with strife and hardship. He dealt with poverty, hungry nights, physical, mental and verbal abuse at the hands of his careless mother. Physical abuse at the hands of his drug addict father. Negligence at the hands of his brother. Though their relationship was cordial—it was far from amended. He had a chip on his shoulder the side of a boulder, and he always saw it as his biggest advantage. It made him fight harder, train more, more ruthless in his fight. 

He was quickly starting to realize that his so-called biggest advantage...was quickly becoming his biggest disadvantage as well. Finishing off the bottle,  Inuyasha threw it over his shoulder. He heard it shatter against the tempered glass of his kitchen cabinet. He exhaled deeply. “Damn it.” He whispered, looking down at his hands. He felt a small droplet of salty water crash onto the skin of his hand. He ran a hand through his knotted, silver hair. He hadn’t showered in well over three days, and he stank of alcohol and regrets. He slumped against the back of his couch. The room spinning and his hands were sweaty. Or was it his forehead? He couldn’t distinguish. He drank to forget. But lately forgetting was proving to be more tiresome and bothersome than usual. Everything that had happened the last two weeks had taken a toll on  Inuyasha , although he wouldn’t dare let anyone know. How would they react? How would the world, his fans react? He could already see the headlines on every front page, every gossip website, every magazine. 

‘ _ Inuyasha _ _ Takahashi: an alcoholic?’  _

It angered him to think about it. But nothing would anger him more than knowing that by walking down the street he would have one more label added to his name, stuffed into the list of other things that people thought of when they saw him.  _ Reckless. Selfish. Arrogant. Spoiled. Criminal. Ruthless. Shameless.  _ He could go on and on about himself—using all the words other people used to describe him. 

_ What do I think of myself, though?  _

He walked this earth with no end in sight—no end point. No milestone at which he could see himself living happily. He chuckled darkly to himself. Happy? Happy was a progressive ideology, sold to him by the promise of glory, fame, women and championships. He sighed, sniffling as he felt his body heat up, the alcohol continuing to take effect in his system. He pushed himself up to his feet, and stumbled in the direction of his bathroom, stepping over empty beer bottles, tears of frustration running down his face. For the last  twenty-three and a half years, he wondered constantly: why me? 

Why was he chosen for this life? Did whatever higher being there is think that he could handle it. He would like to meet them, or it, one day—tell them how wrong they were for giving him this godforsaken life. ‘Dear God or whatever you are,’ he would start, ‘Fuck. You.’ He laughed bitterly, as he tripped over his pant-leg, and fell on cold, honey marble floor of his bathroom. He slammed his fist into the floor, and yelled, almost unhinging his jaw. He slammed his fist again, feeling a bone crack in his pinkie. He ignored the pain. 

_ No pain can be worse than waking up every morning...alive. _

He cried for a little, his cheek pressed against the marble; staring at his reflect in the polished floor, or rather trying not to, before he dragged his body up, taking quick, short breathes. He stumbled over to the  mirror , his palms pressed against the counter. He stared at himself in the mirror.  _ This,  _ he thought,  _ is my true state.  _ His eyes were teary and bloodshot, from insomnia and drinking too much. His hair was a matted, knotted, silver nest. His cheeks were flushed, as the alcohol heated up his body. He had worn the same lounge pants and ripped red t-shirt for days now. His mind was a blur, as the past days mixed and morphed into the present. He was beginning to see double, but he wasn’t sure if it was because of the hit he took, or the alcohol, it could have been both. Wiping away his tears, he stared at his reflection. “You’re worthless.” He whispered to himself, sniffling. “Disgusting.” It was so easy for him to throw diatribes at himself, it was natural. Why shouldn’t it be, when that’s all anyone ever throws at him. He hung his head and looked over to the large bathtub. Some part of him always wished he would just do it. He’d have dreams about filling up the bathtub, and submerging himself, with his eyes open so he could slowly watch the world around him crumble. He never had the will to do it, however. He probably never would. 

_ Probably. Maybe. Possibly. Perhaps.  _

He hated the uncertainty of those words, as it directly reflected his life. It was full of  possiblities , maybes’, probabilities. He knew his life was rapidly becoming a fleeting occurrence in the history of the lives of his friends, and the world. He felt his body strip out of his clothing, and step into the shower to the left of him, by the entrance. He turned on the hot water, and let it run down his back as he pressed his forehead against the stone of his shower wall. He felt tears once again, prompting him to punch at the stone wall. “Stop fucking crying!” He yelled at himself, and banged his forehead against the wall. He felt his body give out from under him, and he sighed, smiling softly. His consciousness began to fade.

When he came to, he found himself surrounded by the warmth of his bed, a glass of water and an Alka-Seltzer tablet sat on his bed side table. He squinted against the evening rays of the sun, as they streamed in from the floor to ceiling windows in front of his bed. He was confused, not remembering the events that led to his waking up in his bed. The last he remembered, he knocked himself out in his shower. He heard the sound of a trash bag being dragged across the floor in his kitchen, and the sound of someone’s voice. He tightened his hands around his white bedsheets, and tightened his jaw as he heard footsteps coming toward him. His breathe hitched in his throat. “ Inuyasha ...you’re awake.” He breathed a sigh of relief when he found that it was  Miroku . He had a worried look on his face, causing  Inuyasha to lay back down on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. “You’ve been out cold for a day. I was worried. You hadn’t answered me for four days.”  Miroku added, approaching  Inuyasha’s bed.  Inuyasha glared at him, watching as he sat down on his bed. “You need to stop doing this.” He said, sighing heavily.  Inuyasha simply stared back. “You do.”  Miroku pleaded, putting a hand on  Inuyasha’s shin. 

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, and turned his head to look at the wall next to his bed, focusing his vision on the cream color of it. He cleared his throat, but refused to talk. He knew he had to stop; he had tried. Every time he tried, he failed, like he did at everything else. He knew he was hurting  Miroku —the only person who he truly thought cared about him. He sighed, causing  Miroku to hang his head. 

“ Inuyasha ...I don’t want to lose my best friend.”  Miroku said softly, his voice breaking. “I’ve dedicated my life to helping you...please.” He sniffled, wiping away the tears in his eyes. “Jesus, please just... just..do this for me? Please.”  Miroku pleaded, looking over to his best friend, who seemed to have tuned him out. “I miss you.”  Inuyasha looked over to  Miroku , his jaw tightened. “I miss my best friend. My  _ real  _ best friend. The kid I met in primary school, who wore that god awful stained white shirt all the time because it was his favorite.” He said, laughing a little. It earned him an exhale from Inuyasha. 

“I’ve tried.”  Inuyasha replied lowly, sitting up in his bed. His head pounded, as was expected, seeing as he had been drunk for four days straight. “And that shirt wasn’t my favorite...it was one of the only ones I had. But my favorite of them, I guess.” He sighed, pressing a fist into his palm as he stared at  Miroku .  Miroku smiled at him, sadly. “My phone broke.” Inuyasha said, and Miroku snorted. 

“Your phone broke? Or you broke  _ it _ ?”  Miroku crossed his arms. 

“I broke it.”  Inuyasha responded, rubbing his forehead. He started to feel the pain of his broken pinkie finger and the hit to his forehead. He winced as he put pressure on it, and sighed. “Go home.”  Inuyasha said coldly, watching as the sun set between the buildings surrounding his apartment.  Miroku was taken aback, hurt flashed over his face. 

“Inuyasha...” 

“I said go home,  Miroku .”  Inuyasha said, as he laid back down in his bed, pulling the covers up to his cheek. “I’m going to sleep.” 

“You have to eat.”  Miroku said sternly, “You have food in the kitchen, c’mon.” He added, tugging at the white duvet.  Inuyasha grumbled, tightening his grip on the covers. “ Inuyasha can you please get up and eat something? You can’t live the rest of your life feeling sorry for yourself and being drunk!” He yelled, causing  Inuyasha to shoot a glare at him over his shoulder. “You can look at me however the fuck you want. You have to get up and eat.” 

“Go away!”  Inuyasha growled, causing  Miroku to yell in frustration. He heard  Miroku huff and turn away. Soon after he heard the elevator ding, signifying that  Miroku had left.  Inuyasha realized that  Miroku was just trying to help him, but he didn’t want help. He wanted solitude. 

A whole lot of it, if only for a few days. 


	7. "Reservations"

“Kagome,” Sango asked, as she opened the door to their small apartment. They were coming home from working at the café. She dropped her keys in the little bowl by the door, and hung her rain jacket by the jacket. Kagome did the same. “Has  Miroku not set up some publicity date for you and  Inuyasha ? Have you not talked to him recently? It’s been two weeks since you last went out. Ever since the fight.” She noted, stretching and rolling her shoulders as she continued into the apartment. Kagome sighed as she pulled her hair up into a bun. “Huh? Is something wrong?” Sango asked her friend, as she shuffled into the kitchen, and rummaged through the fridge for anything to cook with. Kagome followed her friend into the kitchen. 

“No... not really.” Kagome said, shrugging her shoulders, she took her phone out of her pocket and opened up a food delivery app, scrolling through it; she was too tired to cook today. She snapped out of her thoughts as Sango asked her what was wrong. “Oh! Nothing.” Kagome said, smiling a little. “How about I order us a pizza or two?” Kagome asked, in an effort to avoid Sango’s prying into the relationship-or rather, the nonexistent-but-existent-to-the-public relationship. Sango squinted an eye at Kagome, knowing that her friend was hiding something. “You like Hawaiian right? Two Hawaiians.” Kagome said quickly, as she ordered the pizza on the app and paid. “There, dinner will be here in T-minus 45 minutes.” Kagome added. Sango folded her arms over her chest slowly, leaning into the countertop of their kitchen, she raised an eyebrow. 

“ Kagome..why are you dodging my question? What happened?” Sango asked, and Kagome looked down at her feet, twiddling her fingers. “Did you break the contract? Already?” Sango asked, disbelief laced her words. Kagome rolled her eyes and slumped her shoulders. 

“No, not yet...anyway.” Kagome said, dragging her words. “I did something that was unknowingly bad.” Kagome explained, causing Sango to furrow her eyebrows at her friend.  _ What could she have possibly done?  _ Sango wondered, wracking her brain for anything that Kagome could have done that was bad enough for her to dodge the question. Kagome wasn’t exactly one to dodge questions, it was something Sango admired about her. She was frank, brutal in her honesty. So, all of a sudden was she so secretive? “You know how  Inuyasha got the absolute shit beat out of his face?” Kagome asked, prompting Sango to nod her head wearily. “Well, when we got back to the hotel room I asked if he was okay because Koga is a full demon and he’s a-” 

“A half-demon.” Sango said, frankly. Kagome nodded her head. “And he took it the wrong way?” Sango finished, and again Kagome nodded her head. Sango puffed her cheeks and huffed. “That’s tricky.” She said, “Half-demons tend to hate being reminded of their half- demonness .” Sango said gently, furrowing her eyebrows in thought. Kagome groaned and nodded her head. 

“I feel horrible about it.” She said, “He hasn’t talked to me since then. He also got really angry and told me to get out of his room. Like some teenage older brother.” Kagome rested her head on the palms of her hands, as she sat at the small dinner table in the kitchen area. “He was already beating himself up...I could tell.” Kagome added, making herself feel like she was digging an even bigger grave.  _ I feel like I really fucked it up with one comment.  _

Sango shrugged her shoulders, “Oh well.” Kagome’s head snapped up to look at her friend. Indifference was unusual with her. Sango tended to have very strong opinions about anything and everything. “He’ll get over it.” She said, as she herself got up from the table and walked over to her bedroom. “It’s not like you’re  _ actually  _ dating, right?” Sango said, poking her head out of her doorway. 

Kagome smiled nervously at her friend.  _ Yeah _ , she thought,  _ not actually dating.  _ Kagome lifted herself from her seat, and walked over to her own bedroom. As she opened her door, she groaned with realization and pinched the bridge of her nose. Clothes were thrown around her room, along with shoes and purses. Since arriving from Las Vegas, she’d had little time to clean her room and reorganize her clothing. The dress she wore to the fight hung loosely over her open closet door. The  louboutin heels were thrown into a corner. Other clothing was thrown on the floor around her hamper and spilled out of her dresser. Sighing, Kagome started slowly cleaning up the mess of her room. She heard knocking at the door, and Sango’s footsteps shuffling toward the door as she yelled “coming!”. Figuring that it was the food, Kagome left her task and walked toward the kitchen, where Sango was putting down the pizzas. Kagome picked up one of the boxes, and brought it over to the living room area. Sango followed after her, and picked up the TV remote from the coffee table, as Kagome took a slice of pizza. “Hm,” Kagome said with a mouth full of pizza, “lets watch something on Netflix.” Sango giggled at her friend, and picked up her own slice of pizza, pulling Netflix up on the TV screen. Sango scrolled through a few shows and movies, before she and Kagome decided on  _ To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.  _ In Kagome’s opinion, the movie was overly cheesy, but it was good if all she was looking for was something to watch while she ate, which is exactly what she was doing. “God this is so good.” Kagome moaned, and reached forward for another slice of pizza. Sango nodded as she took another bite out of her slice. 

“So,” Sango said, licking her lips, “what was your actual visit to Las Vegas like? We only talked about the fight when you called to tell me who he was fighting. And, you know, besides that little bit where you accidently were really insensitive to Inuyasha.” Kagome mentally facepalmed herself. That’s what she was!  _ Insensitive.  _ Kagome nodded her head, and swallowed her food, before she started to talk, the movie playing in the background. 

“So, the hotel room was amazing, and I’m sure was crazy expensive. He had his own space entirely to himself and so did I. Between our rooms was a little dining area and living room, with a small kitchen area, and a fully stocked bar. Really cool.” Kagome said, moving her hands as she spoke. “The food was absolutely amazing too. We all went out to eat that Friday night after his weigh in and it was amazing. He had a tomahawk steak and I swear that’s the only time I saw him like, truly happy that whole time. I had this lemon and herb salmon dish,” Kagome could feel her mouth salivating as she recalled the taste of the food, “amazing.” She shook her head, wishing the pizza she was currently indulging in was the salmon she had Frid night. “There was a really nice view of the city from his balcony too. Really pretty.” Kagome continued, taking another bite of her pizza slice, “the fight of course was really fun. I could get used to going to those because he doesn’t talk to me much and gets really into it, so I kind of just hang out with his sister-in-law, brother, and  Miroku most of the time. His sparring partners are weird though; they don’t talk much.” Sango smiled with realization at Kagome, raising her eyebrows. Worried, Kagome’s eyes moved around the room, before looking at Sango. “What?” 

“You like him.” Sango said, in a sing-song voice. Kagome coughed, beating her free hand on her chest. “I asked you about  _ your  _ trip. Not  Inuyasha’s .” Sango said, laughing slightly. Kagome’s cheeks turned red as she shook her head rapidly. “Also... _ his  _ balcony?” Sango asked, raising an eyebrow as she took a bite of her pizza. Kagome rolled her eyes. “Look...I’m just pointing out what I’ve noticed.” Sango chimed, shrugging her shoulders. 

“Absolutely not. No. He’s a fucking ass.” Kagome said snorting. Her? Liking  _ him?  _ Impossible. It absolutely could not be. There was no way for it. “Nah,” Kagome said, frowning, “he’s totally not my type.” She added, reaching for another slice of pizza. As she reached for the pizza, her phone buzzed in her pocket. Kagome set the pizza slice down in the box, and took her phone out of her pocket. She didn’t have the number saved in her phone which caused her to make a confused at her phone screen. “I don’t know this number...” she murmured, and watched as it rang, trying to remember if she knew the number at all. Sango peered over Kagome’s shoulder, looking at her phone screen. “Should I answer?” Kagome asked her friend, as the phone still rang in her hand. She watched as the ringing ended abruptly, and a notification appeared on her phone screen, letting her know that she missed the call. “Guess we’ll never find out then.” Kagome said, shrugging her shoulders as she threw the phone onto the coffee table. Sango shrugged her shoulders back. “But yeah...he just...no. Sango, I have no idea where you got that idea from, but you better get it out of your head as quickly as you got it.” Kagome said, shooting a glare to her friend. Sango laughed at her, as she reached for another slice. 

“I was just saying.” Sango said in a sing-song voice. “Why were you on his balcony? Didn’t you guys have separate areas?” Sango asked, prompting Kagome to clench her teeth awkwardly. Sango shot a glare at her friend, slumping her shoulders. “What do you mean?” Sango asked, mimicking Kagome’s reaction to her question. “Oh my god...you had sex.” Sango said, making Kagome groan in frustration. 

“No! Nothing happened with us! His penis did not enter me...in any way!” Kagome yelled, pointing a finger at her friend. “I kind of, sort of, slapped him on the plane ride to Las Vegas and then felt bad when we got to the hotel so I went to his room to apologize and we ended up having a talk on the balcony.” Kagome said in one breathe, sighing after she said it. She prepared herself for Sango to yell at her, but when she looked up at her friend all she saw was her shocked expression. “I know...” Kagome breathed, sighing. She heard Sango begin to laugh from beside her, and she glared at her friend. “What’s so funny?” Kagome asked dryly. 

“The fact that you ran to his room like a little kid begging for forgiveness.” Sango said between laughs, earning herself a glare from Kagome. “Look, it sounds like your trip went better than expected, I definitely would have expected you two to kill each other, having to share a hotel room and all.” She added, wiping her tears away with the edge of her finger. Again, Kagome’s phone buzzed from the coffee table, the vibrations making the phone move. It was the name unknown number. Sighing, Kagome picked up the phone and answered it, putting it on speaker. 

“Hello?” Kagome asked, bringing the phone speaker up to her ear. She looked up at Sango, making a face of confusion. 

“Hi. It’s  Inuyasha .” The voice said on the other end, Kagome looked up at Sango, her eyes going wide as her mouth formed an ‘o’ shape in surprise. Sango quickly covered her mouth with her hands and jumped off of the couch, watching Kagome for what she would say. “Did you  fucking die or something?”  Inuyasha snapped on the phone, causing Kagome to glare at it. 

“Just wasn’t expecting your call.” Kagome said wearily. It was true,  Inuyasha and Kagome never exchanged phone numbers. She mostly communicated with  Miroku about public appearances and the likes. She looked over to Sango, who looked at Kagome as if she had thrown two extra heads, she rolled her eyes. “What do you want?” Kagome asked, looking over her finger nails. She heard  Inuyasha laugh bitterly over the phone, and she struggled to fight down a smile. 

“Oh, I see.”  Inuyasha replied smirking, as he sat in his car. He glanced up at Kagome’s apartment, seeing the light from her living room. “Look.  Miroku wants us to go out for dinner tonight, something about appearances, I don’t know.”  Inuyasha replied, as his finger ran around the circumference of the steering wheel. His claw traced over the Mercedes sign in the center. “He made reservations for us at a steakhouse downtown. It’s at 10:30. Get  ready. Make yourself look nice.” He added, looking into her window, he could faintly make out the figure of Sango, standing near the TV screen. “Say hello to your friend for me, I’m outside.” He added, with an amused chuckle, and ended the call, slipping his phone into the cup holder of his car. He saw Kagome look through her window, and gave her a wave. 

Kagome groaned as she looked away from the window, while Sango peered over her friends' shoulder at him, giving him a wave. Kagome stomped over to the bathroom and splashed cold water on her face,  ti brighten her complexion and wash away some of the stress from the day. She began to brush her teeth as she walked out of the bathroom, “I’m going to kill  Miroku .” Kagome said, as she brushed her teeth, “He really can’t make reservations and tell us last minute.” Kagome complained, rolling her eyes. She went back into the bathroom to spit out the toothpaste, and Sango folded her arms as she stood at the doorway of the bathroom. 

“Or maybe  Miroku tells  Inuyasha in advance and  Inuyasha is the one that decides to tell you last minute to be an asshole to you.” Sango suggested, and Kagome tilted her head. It was a very plausible explanation, however that wouldn’t explain the day they went to the mall and  Miroku dropped the bomb on her about leaving that night only hours before the jet was scheduled to take off. “Wear that tight black dress with the long sleeves that’s off the shoulders that you have, you look pretty in that.” Sango added, as she went back to the living room. “I bet that dress will get  Inuyasha to like you back.” She teased, jogging a little to the couch, and returning to the pizza. Kagome gagged audibly as she walked into her room to change. Sango laughed. 

“ Ew !” Kagome called from her room, as she looked through her closet, pulling out dresses. “What to wear, what to wear...” she whispered to herself, as she looked over her options. She settled, reluctantly, on Sango’s suggestion. It was a tight, black cotton dress. It stopped just above mid-thigh, and had long sleeves, and off the shoulder. She sighed as she changed into the dress, and pulled her hair up into a neat, sleeked back high ponytail. She applied minimal makeup, and slipped her feet into a pair of black heels. She stuffed her phone into a black purse. She kept her usual diamond stud earrings and put on a small golden necklace, with the single letter ‘K’. The K rested between her collar bones, just above her breasts. She reached onto her dresser, and spritzed a little bit of the perfume  Inuysha gifted her over her body. Looking at herself in the mirror, Kagome walked out of her room, and into the living room, where Sango had now put on another movie. “So?” She asked, causing Sango to look over her shoulder. 

“You look fabulous, Kagome.” Sango said, beaming a smile to her friend. “Truly breathtaking, most beautiful woman on this planet.” She added, smiling at Kagome. Sango took a bite out of a pizza slice, and Kagome rolled her eyes. 

“Thank you, Sango.” She said, as she turned toward the door, grabbing her keys. “Don’t eat all the pizza while I’m gone!” Kagome called over her shoulder. 

“Bitch, you’re  gonna eat steak!” Sango called after Kagome, as she closed the door. Sighing, Kagome started her way quickly down the steps.  _ You know,  _ she thought, shaking her head,  _ He probably DID get told about this earlier and decided to come tell me when he arrived at my apartment. Wait. How did he get my address?  _ Kagome groaned;  _ guess I’ll find that all out at dinner.  _ She opened the door to her apartment building and looked across the street. Her eyes searched the area for a while before her eyes focused on  Inuyasha , leaning against the red body of his card. His hair was thrown over his shoulder, his ankles crossed and his fingers typed away on his phone. Kagome looked both ways, before crossing the middle of the street and tapped  Inuyasha on his shoulder. He was startled out of his concentration and then glared at Kagome. 

“Well, sorry.” Kagome said, as  Inuyasha turned to open the passenger side door. She got into the car, and watched as  Inuyasha walked over to his side, and opened his own door. “Hope you didn’t stand outside long.” She added, pulling the seatbelt over her body. “Is  Miroku coming along?” Kagome asked, looking at  Inuyasha as he pulled out of his parking spot.  Inuyasha shook his head. 

“Nope.” He said, letting go of his lips as he pronounced the ‘p’. Kagome opened her mouth to speak,  Inuyasha held up a finger, glancing over at her. “Neither is  Sesshomaru and Rin or any friends of mine.”  _ Not that I have any,  _ He thought to himself. Kagome huffed and crossed her arms, glaring at the silver-haired half demon in the driver's seat. Although it was hard for her to glare at him, when she noticed a small smirk come onto his lips as they merged onto the freeway. “It’s just us.” He added, winking in her direction.

“I didn’t even get to ask anything.” Kagome said under her breathe, and then snorted, “what’s with the smirk, dog boy?” She said, and  Inuyasha sent a glance in her direction. She asked again, “what’s with the smirk? Are you going to answer me or not?”  _ Why does he seem so happy to be with me?  _

“The perfume I gave you,”  Inuyasha said, staring at the road, “you’re wearing it.” It was a small trace of the scent, nothing that would overpower his senses. Then again, he hadn’t chosen a scent that would overpower his senses anyway. It was a bright, fresh scent, like rose water and honey. He could feel heat radiating off of Kagome’s body, and he laughed. “You thought I wouldn’t notice?”  Inuyasha asked, looking over at her. “Oh sweetheart,” he said sarcastically, “you really are dimwitted.” Kagome smacked him on his arm, earning her a glare from him. “You have a bad history with slapping me, Kagome.” He said. Kagome noticed the faint Japanese accent, on the word ‘history’ causing her to giggle. “What?” He asked, now annoyed with the girl. 

“Your accent.” Kagome said softly. “It’s cute. Kawaii.” She teased, causing  Inuyasha to groan. “It’s very faint! Don’t worry!” It didn’t help, as now the half-demon was visibly uncomfortable, shifting in his spot. He tightened his jaw and concentrated on the road. “Why does it seem like everything I say to you...bothers you?” Kagome asked. She was becoming increasingly irritated by  Inuyasha’s seemingly persistent belligerent attitude with her. “You  wanna know something? I’m so god damn tired of you  Inuyasha . I really fucking am. Everything I say, everything I do, you just seem so annoyed by it. You’re so fucking belligerent. I’m giving up a  _ year  _ of my life to help you with your career! And I don’t even know you! You could at the very least be nice to me!” Kagome yelled, glancing over at the half demon driving. Her eyes moved from the glint of diamonds on his wrist watch to his molten golden eyes, that smoldered with frustration at her. She shifted in her seat, crossing her arms and sighing. 

“You want to get to know me?”  Inuyasha asked, bitterly. Kagome felt the car speed up, as he weaved through the traffic. She grabbed onto her seat-belt, and felt her stomach drop. “Fine.”  Inuyasha said, as he merged onto the exit. “Will that get you to shut the fuck up?”  Inuyasha asked, growling at Kagome. Kagome was taken aback. He was always aggressive toward her, but never to this level. It caused Kagome to worry for herself, but she tried not to show it. “I’m not going to hurt you. I don’t hit women.”  Inuyasha muttered, clearing his throat. “I can smell your fear.” 

After staring at  Inuyasha for a few moments, her mouth agape, she found her voice. “Don’t drive like that again.” she said plainly, looking out of her window. The rain ended, but the mist was still persistent. She watched as people walked down the crowded sidewalks, some looked to be having a night out, others just on their way to work—or from work. She felt the car make a turn, and pull quickly into a valet parking spot. She heard  Inuyasha mutter something under his breathe, and opened his door. Kagome saw someone approach her side of the car, and open the door for her, a hand extended to help her out. She took the hand, and smiled to the person that helped her out as a thank you. She made her way over to the sidewalk, where  Inuyasha took her by the hand, and threw his keys at the valet parker. 

“Stop staring at my girlfriend’s ass and park the damn car. I better not see a scratch.” He barked at him, startling the young man into action. Snickering a bit,  Inuyasha walked with Kagome to the entrance of the steakhouse. Kagome’s attention quickly moved from  Inuyasha , to the granite stone flooring, and the black metal and deep brown wood that decorated the restaurant. Chandeliers were the source of light, providing soft, low light. The volume of noise was low, the loudest thing was a low laugh in the back of the restaurant.  Inuyasha’s voice broke her trance, “Hi. Here for a reservation, under the name  Inuyasha Takahashi. For two people.” Kagome’s eyes trailed to the  maître d' ; who’s cheeks were flushed crimson at the sight of  Inuyasha , and his voice. She mentally rolled her eyes.  _ Calm down girl,  _ she thought to herself,  _ he isn’t that special.  _

After a few moments, they were approached by a waitress, that greeted them and guided them to their table. As they walked, some people stared at the two. Perhaps mainly because it’s not every day that one sees a half demon that looks so much like a demon and a human at the same time. Kagome felt slightly uncomfortable by the richness that surrounded them. It was out of her comfort. She spent her days making coffee for people like the ones who were around them, enjoying a meal. She never once imagined that she might have a meal at a place like this. Or rather, she did, just never this early on in her life. She smiled across the table at  Inuyasha , as she placed her purse down next to her feet. “This place is nice.” She said quietly, watching as  Inuyasha observed their surroundings, the ears atop his head flickered slightly, and then perked up at the sound of her voice, pointing in her direction.  _ God, those ears are adorable!  _

“Yeah,”  Inuyasha breathed, turning his attentions back to Kagome. “ Miroku’s good at picking place.”  Inuyasha muttered, and shook his head as his hand rested on the leather cover of the menu. “Probably because he spends all his time trying to woo girls into bed. The damned  lech .” He added, opening the menu. Kagome giggled across from him, making  Inuyasha let out a small laugh as well. 

“ Miroku is kind of a lecher.” Kagome agreed as she flipped through the menu as well. “He’s always looking for someone new-” 

_ “To ask to bare his children!”  _ It was a moment that caught them both by surprise, as they stared at one another in the dimly lit restaurant, a candle burning between them, flickering at the slightest gust of wind.  Inuyasha dragged a thumb across his bottom lip, and looked away. “Right.” he laughed softly, “he-um, he does that a lot. Since we were teenagers.” Kagome found the sudden submissive side of  Inuyasha amusing, as he was often the last to back down from any situation. Her head tilted as she rested it on the back of her hands, smiling at her ‘date’. 

“Really? You’ve known each other since you were teenagers?” Kagome asked, before  Inuyasha could respond, the waitress came and asked what they would like to drink. “Wine,” Kagome responded politely, “is it possible to have a bottle of red wine brought to us?” Kagome added, glancing at  Inuyasha , who seemed interested in the response of the waitress. The waitress glanced between the two, and nodded her head, leaving. “What were you saying?” She asked  Inuyasha , as she turned her attention to the menu.  Inuyasha smirked at the girl. 

“Well,  Miroku and I have been friends since primary school actually.” He clarified, taking a sip of the cold glass of water in front of him. “I think I hit him in the head with a kickball...” His voice trailed off as he furrowed his eyebrows, trying to remember how it was that he met his Fidus Achates. “Yes, I think that’s right. I hit him in the head with a kickball, accidently, of course.” There was a pause, as Kagome arched an eyebrow at  Inuyasha . He rolled his eyes, “Okay. Maybe not accidentally, per se. He was loud and annoying...I figured the ball would help quiet him.” He chuckled at the memory. 

Kagome smiled at  Inuyasha . “Oh, so you’ve always been an asshole,” she resolved, “what a relief.” The waitress arrived with the bottle of red wine, and two wine glasses. She set them down on the table, and filled them. 

“Do you need more time?” The waitress asked. Kagome’s eyes broke away from the wine glass, and shifted to  Inuyasha who looked up at the waitress. She trailed over his jawline, and settled on his fangs as he talked, she felt blood rush to her cheeks and her eyes widened as she adverted her gaze to the menu. “How about you, miss?” The waitress asked Kagome, her hands behind her back as she waited her order. 

“Um,” Kagome stuttered, looking down at the menu.  _ Fuck!  _ She thought, her eyes racing around the menu,  _ Damn him!  _ “I’ll have what he’s having.” Kagome said, looking up from the menu and smiling at the waitress, she handed her the menu.  Inuyasha also handed her the menu, and the waitress scurried off to the kitchen. 

“You wanted to get to know me, right?”  Inuyasha asked, swirling the wine in his glass before taking a sip _.  _ He set down the glass, and licked his lips, squinted at Kagome a little. “Well...” He said lowly, leaning forward. He set his elbows on the table, and clasped his hands together under his chin. “My name is  Inuyasha Takahashi. I’m twenty-three years old. I was born and raised in the Osaka Prefecture of Japan. I’m a world champion UFC fighter. I’m a half-demon, my favorite color is red. My favorite song is Crew by Gold link. I live alone.” He quickly rattled off a list of facts that Kagome could have easily looked up about him online. Kagome sighed as she took a sip of the wine. “What?” Inuyasha asked, annoyed. 

“I could find that out on my phone,  Inuyasha .” Kagome responded dryly, shifting her gaze upward as she drank.  Inuyasha rolled his eyes at her. “What have you been arrested for? Why did you do it?” She asked, boldly, yet lowly. There was mischief and intrigue in her eyes.  Inuyasha stared her down, waiting for her gaze to falter, she was bound to give in eventually. Her gaze didn’t falter, if anything, it seemed to grow more intrigued. 

_ This woman,  _ Inuyasha thought to himself, biting his bottom lip,  _ she doesn’t back down easily.  _ Inuyasha shifted uncomfortably in his seat, his eyes trailing down her face to the necklace around her neck, with the small golden ‘K’ that rested between her collar bones, the softness of her skin intrigued him as his eyes trailed back up to meet hers. He smirked at her, a fang popping out, poking his bottom lip. “Juvenile or adult?” He asked, his voice taking on a lower tone. “ ’Cause it’s extensive, baby girl.” He added,  tilting his head slightly. 

Kagome smirked at the half-demon, “let’s start with juvenile.” She heard a growl scratch its way out of  Inuyasha’s throat, as he sat back in his seat. She took another sip of her wine. “What was  Inuyasha Takahashi doing back then to land him in jail, hm?” She questioned coyly, resting the side of her face in the palm of her hand. There was second, a fleeting moment, in which she saw  Inuyasha clench his jaw. 

“A lot.”  Inuyasha breathed, running a hand through his long silver hair. He focused on his split ends for a moment, before looking back up at Kagome. “Robbery, vandalism, I was in a street gang for a little bit. Possession of drugs, scamming...” He trailed off as he thought for a second, “fighting, hitting teachers...I hit my dad.” The man sighed heavily.  _ I’ve done a lot of fucked up shit, Kagome.  _

Kagome nodded, “Oh wow. I’m sorry to hear that.” She said softly, reaching across the table and putting a hand on  Inuyasha’s .  Inuyasha glanced down, and pulled his hand away slowly. “Sorry.” Kagome said quickly, retrieving her hand. “It’s just that...when juveniles commit crimes, people are so quick to judge...” she said, looking down at the table as she furrowed her eyebrows.  Inuyasha snorted, looking away from Kagome. 

“Look, you wanted to know, so I told you.” He said bitterly, folding his arms. “I didn’t tell you for your sympathy.” He added, looking at Kagome through narrowed eyes. “What else do you want to know about me so much? Everything you need to know about me you know already.” He looked around himself, and then leaned into the table. In a low, hushed tone he said, “you weren’t hired to feel bad for me. You were hired to boost my image. You don’t need to know my sob story, or lack thereof. All you need to know is my name. My age. Where I live. What I do for a living. That’s all.” 

Kagome looked up from the table, slighted by his comment.  Inuyasha cleared his throat. “Look, the food is coming.” He announced, trying to change the subject. 

“Oh, really?” Kagome asked, feigning to match his excitement at the sight of the food. “That’s great. I’m starving.” 


	8. "Maybe we should switch spots"

There were many things that  Miroku didn’t understand about his friend, despite nineteen years of friendship. Like why he always insisted on having two red bulls a day, or why he only ate vanilla ice cream in root beer floats. Those were all trivial matters, however. Perhaps the most puzzling thing about  Inuyasha , was his belligerent attitude toward Kagome. It was a phenomenon not even his best friend of years could figure out; and so  Miroku sat in a corner of Kagome and Sango’s café, quietly sipping on a coffee, deep in thought. His eyes lifted from the table, and looked over to Sango, who was happily taking orders from customers and telling them to Kagome. That was another puzzle he wanted to figure out. 

_ Sango Nakamura.  _

It was a name that rolled off of his tongue almost as naturally as his own. Ever since he met her, he fell in deep, deep, pathetic love. The type of love you could only replicate in childhood, with your first crush. To  Miroku , Sango was the epitome of perfection; although his attempts to make her his have fallen on deaf ears. Perhaps it was because his advanced were far too forward?  Miroku shook his head, no. That couldn’t be it. His eyes squinted as he turned his attention toward his phone, absentmindedly staring at its screen.  _ There has to be some way I can get her attention,  _ Miroku thought, biting down on the tip of his thumb. “Duh, stupid.”  Miroku sighed to himself, lowly. “Just ask her out on a damn date.”  Miroku said, and nodded his head. He was determined to get Sango’s attentions, and get to hold her voluptuous body, if only for a night.  _ But not today,  _ he thought to himself, his gaze softening as he looked at Sango conversate with Kagome at the counter as Kagome cleaned the espresso machine. Her laugh was magic to his ears, and he felt his cheeks heat up as he thought about it.  Miroku shook his head. No, this was not why he was at the café. He was at the café to ask Kagome about how dinner with  Inuyasha went a few days ago. He saw pictures of them in the front page of the newspaper. They were walking out of the steakhouse he made reservations for them at. Her arm was looped over his elbow, and her hand reached up to his bicep. The headline was a positive headline about  Inuyasha , something  Miroku saw as the equivalent of a miracle. His plan of boosting  Inuyasha’s social standing with a girl was working, although slowly. He looked out of the window, and didn’t notice anybody idling around suspiciously. “How odd...” he whispered to himself, “no  paps yet.” Shrugging, he got up from his seat, and threw the plastic coffee cups in the trashcan, and then made his way over to the counter, where Kagome was busying herself by sweeping behind the counter. “Hey Kagome,” he greeted, laying his hands on the granite counter top, “how was dinner with Inuyasha?” he asked lowly. Kagome stopped sweeping and turned her attention to  Miroku , putting her hand on her hip. The other hand held the broom stick. 

“I have a bone to pick with you,  Miroku .” Kagome said, returning to her sweeping duties.  Miroku glanced over to Sango, who merely shrugged her shoulders. It was near closing time, and so the café wasn’t as full as it had been in the morning, when  Miroku stopped by for  Inuyasha’s daily  matcha latte.  Miroku gave Kagome a puzzled look. “You need to stop telling us about stuff like that so close to when it’s going to happen. You did it with the fight, you did it with the flight to Las Vegas, and you did it with the dinner.” Kagome snapped at him, angrily sweeping the stone floor behind the counter. 

“Wait,”  Miroku said, furrowing his eyebrows. “You mean to tell me  Inuyasha didn’t tell you the day I made the reservations?” He groaned and rolled his eyes.  _ That sneaky, sneaky dog.  _ He heard Sango laugh as she leaned against the counter, her back on the cash register. “That little-” 

“I knew it!” Sango said, pointing to Kagome as she laughed.  Miroku smiled at her.  _ God she’s so pretty.  _ “What did I tell you that night? What did I say? I knew it!” She made a little happy dance. “He’s trying to annoy you!” Kagome fumed as she bent down to pick up the dust pan, and poured the debris into an open black trashcan near the entrance to the kitchen of the café. 

“That’s beside the point though!” Kagome exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air. The broom and dustpan dropped beside her. She pointed a finger at  Miroku . “I swear to god  Miroku , the next time I find out about an event, or a reservation or something like that hours before it’s supposed to happen, I will personally see to it that you lose those wandering hands of yours.” Kagome threatened, a spark in her eye.  Miroku nodded his head quickly, gulping. Kagome beamed a smile at him, “glad we’re on the same page.” Kagome looked between Sango and  Miroku , who seemed to be expecting something from her. “What? Do I owe you money or something?” She asked, laughing. She picked up the broom and stood it up in a corner, and crossed her arms. 

“So, Kagome...” Sango said, trailing off, a small smile creeping onto her ivory skin, “How was dinner with  Inuyasha ?” She asked. “You know you really should start telling me about this little adventure of yours. I’m getting tired of having to pry you open for information.” Sango added, as she walked over to the espresso machine to make herself a latte. Kagome’s face turned red as she turned away from her friends, pretending to count the left-over croissants and pastries. “Was he nice for once?” 

“Nice? I don’t think nice is in his vocabulary.” Kagome responded quickly, laughing slightly. “He was...cordial. We didn’t talk about anything important. We did talk a lot about  Miroku though.” Kagome lied.  _ Of course, we talked about something important _ , she thought, _ his criminal history for one. How he met  _ _ Miroku _ _. That’s important. At least, to me.  _ Her comment earned her a gasp from  Miroku , who leaned over the counter. The café was empty now, seeing as it was half past seven, closing time for  _ Cafeium _ _.  _ He watched as Kagome vaulted herself over the counter, and walked over to the door, locking it. “Oh yeah  Miroku , “ Kagome said playfully, “we talked a bunch about you.” 

“What about  Miroku ?” Sango asked, adverting her eyes to the hot, delicious liquid she poured into a small coffee mug. 

“Yeah, what about me!”  Miroku asked, crossing his arms. “I trust it was nothing but positive words about how much of a caring, thoughtful, helpful friend I am.”  Miroku said, smiling. Kagome laughed at him. 

“Yeah, sure.” She said, nodding her head a little. “If you count your lecherous ways, and the creepy habit you have of asking women you barely know to bare your children a positive trait of yours, that is.” Kagome added.  Miroku’s smug smirk left his face as he glared at Kagome. “If  theres one thing your friend  Inuyasha and I agree on, it’s that you’re a womanizer. A pretty big one too.” 

“Yeah, tell me about it.” Sango added from her place, as she sipped on the latte.  Miroku looked in disbelief between the two women. 

“I am most definitely not a lecher!”  Miroku exclaimed, as he watched Sango put down her coffee mug to wash the ones that were left unattended in the dish tray. Sango snorted in response as she opened the faucet, and started to clean off the cups with hot water. “I only have eyes for you, Sango.” He said, laying his forearms down on counter. He heard the clash of a coffee mug being dropped, and broken. “Sorry.” He muttered, his face turning red as he looked down at the counter, suddenly interested in the grain pattern of the polished granite. 

“Really?” Sango asked bitterly, as Kagome scurried off to the kitchen to begin preparing the dough for the pastries, and the batter for the cakes and muffins they needed for the next day, perhaps to disassociate herself with the situation at hand. “That’s funny because the last I checked you were still flirting with every woman you saw and asking them if they would please bare your children. And you’re supposed to come from a family of monks? Hmph.”  Miroku blinked in surprise. 

“Alright, look.”  Miroku started, rubbing the back of his neck, watching Sango’s back as she angrily rinsed away at the cups and tea plates. There was a pause as  Miroku gathered his words. He wasn’t one for speeches, or confessions, much like  Inuyasha . However, he was better at using words. “I do that to try to get your attention, you never showed any interest.”  Miroku said, tracing circles around the granite counter. Sango huffed from her spot at the sink. “I was trying to make you jealous.” He said lowly, turning her attention to the chalkboard menus that were above Sango, on the wall. 

“You were doing that long before we even met  Miroku ,” Sango said, shaking her head, “you excuse doesn’t check out.” Sango said, as she picked up the tray where she flipped over the cups and put the plates in. She walked over to the swinging double doors that lead to the kitchen. Frustrated,  Miroku vaults himself over the counter, and follows Sango into the kitchen, “You aren’t allowed in here  Miroku .” Sango said bitterly, as she began to load the dishes into the dishwasher. 

“It’s after hours.”  Miroku responded, sticking his hands into his jean pants. He looked over to Kagome, who had her air pods in, listening to music as she measured out flour. “Sango can you give me a chance?” He asked, leaning against a stainless-steel counter. “C’mon, please?”  _ I told myself I wouldn’t ask her out tonight,  _ Miroku thought to himself as he signed. Sango glanced up from her chore, and rolled her eyes. “You’re so beautiful, Sango. Just please...let me show you how much I like you.”  Miroku pleaded. 

“Who’s to say you won’t be a lecher even if you date?” Sango asked, arching an eyebrow as she loaded the dishes.  Miroku put a hand over the dishes and stared at Sango. “Excuse me, I have a job to do.” Sango said bitterly, trying to take  Miroku’s hand off of the tray. 

“Am I not even worth your full attention?”  Miroku asked, furrowing his eyebrows at Sango, who sighed and looked down at the half-loaded dish washer. “To answer your question: I’m not that type of man Sango. I know I’m not.” He stared at her, waiting for Sango to look back up at him. He just wanted to see her honey brown eyes again. “Will you at least sleep on it?”  Miroku asked, trying to get Sango’s attention back to himself. “Please.”  _ I feel like I’ve spent a lot of time recently begging people to do things. I’m getting quite tired of it.  _

_ “ _ If I say yes, will you leave Kagome and I alone and let us close our café?” Sango snapped, as she raised her eyebrows at  Miroku .  Miroku nodded his head at Sango. “Okay, fine. Yes, I will sleep on it.” Sango admitted, as she smirked at  Miroku . “Actually, can you help Kagome with the pastries and stuff?” Sango asked, she figured that Kagome could use some help with the measurements and carrying the heavy bags of flour. 

“Of course, Sango.”  Miroku responded happily. He would do anything to gain the attentions of Sango, whom he’s coveted for months. Now that a chance was finally in his grasps, he would do anything to make sure he doesn’t blow it.  _ Don’t fuck this up for yourself, you dumb monk!  _ Miroku thought to himself, as he approached Kagome, and tapped on her shoulder. Startled, Kagome looked up from the dough she was  kneading , and pulled out an Air pod. 

“ Miroku ?” She looked beyond  Miroku’s shoulder to her best friend, who smile devilish as she stared at them. “Um, what are you doing in the kitchen? You aren’t allowed back here.” She said, arching an eyebrow at  Miroku , who only smiled stupidly at Kagome, and laughed nervously. 

“Well, seeing as I’m in the process of acquiring the affections of your lovely friend Sango,” he pointed with his thumb to the girl behind him, who has since gone back to doing her chores, “I’ve volunteered to help you with whatever you may need help with.” He said, and Kagome nodded wearily. 

“Uh, alright I guess.” Kagome said, shrugging, and motioned toward a drawer next to her. “Take out a hairnet and put it on, then go get one of those flour bags and dump it into the mixer.”  Miroku was slightly surprised that Kagome didn’t really hesitate to give him orders, but then he remembered that she was the same person who threatened earlier to cut off his wandering hands, and quickly got to work. 

“Wow, nice way to get us some help back here.” Kagome muttered to Sango. The work for the day had been done, and with  Miroku’s (surprising) help, the preparations for the next day had taken less time. “Sneaky, but respectable.” She joked, as she began to put chairs up on the tables, as Sango swept the dine-in area. 

“Look, I figured I could make him useful to you.” Sango joked back, as she swept the area. “I don’t know if I should give him a chance though. I’m not quite ready for a relationship yet.” She added, shrugging her shoulders. Kagome looked at Sango confused, as she tilted her head. 

“What do you mean give him a chance?” 

“Oh right, you had your music on.” Sango said, sighing, and turned back to her job. “He basically begged me to give him a chance at dating me. I told him I’d sleep on it, but I don’t know.” Kagome stared at her friend, her mouth agape. Sango giggled, “is that how you stare at Inuyasha?” 

“Will you and  Miroku shut up about that already?” Kagome growled, crossing her arms. “I don’t like him.” 

“Kagome...you guys like each other.” Sango said, rolling her eyes. She went and put the broom in the back closet, and pulled out a mop, starting to mop the floor. “It’s obvious. There’s sexual tension there.” Kagome gagged audibly. 

“I could say the same thing about you and  Miroku , and it would actually be true, seeing as you’re considering dating him and everything.” Kagome teased, sticking her tongue out at Sango. Sango gave Kagome the middle finger. “If I go to  Inuyasha’s next fight. Can you come with? Please? I think closing the café for a few days wouldn’t hurt.” Kagome said, trying to change the subject. She felt uncomfortable every time the topic of her and  Inuyasha being an actual ‘item’ was brought up. It had only been one month, and Kagome was a strong believer that she hadn’t spent nearly enough time to get to know  Inuyasha . That wasn’t exactly in the contract, but she figured that if she would be spending a large portion of the next year with  Inuyasha , the least she could do is try to get to know him. Although, that was proving to be difficult. He was a guarded person, and after hearing about his juvenile criminal record, she could understand why. The comment he made about hitting his dad at one point showed to her that he may have been raised in a less than stellar household, abusive perhaps. She stood by the entrance, with her crossbody bag and the keys to the café in hand, waiting for her friend as she thought. She had learned a lot more about  Inuyasha from his criminal record than she believed she had that night. She remembered how he drew away his hand from hers, the rough skin on his knuckles slightly rubbing against the soft skin of her palms. Her mind wandered to his face. The gentle arch of his eyebrow. The large, molten golden eyes that seemed endless, like pools of honey, mischievous danced within them constantly. The ivory of his teeth. The shimmer of the golden Cuban link necklace that snug against the start of his neck, resting just above the space between his collarbones. The ears that sat atop his head, constantly swiveling and flickering at the slightest sound, the muscle that made up his body. He looked positively delicious a few days ago. She shook her head,  _ stop!  _ There was something about  Inuyasha that enticed her, dared her to dive deeper than just the surface.

“Uh, I don’t see why I can’t, Kagome.” Sango said back, chuckling. “I mean, we own the café. Technically we could close and open whenever we want.” She added, as she walked to the back closet and took her own purse out, hanging up her apron. “What to do you plan to do with the million dollars, Kagome? After taxes and such.” Sango said, as she and Kagome turned off the lights and locked the door to the café. They pulled down the metal protection gate and started walking toward the subway station. Kagome snapped herself out of her trance and smiled at Sango, shrugging her shoulders. 

“I thought we could invest it into another  Cafeium location?” She suggested to Sango who snorted. “I don’t know. I never thought I would ever have this much money at one time...I never saw myself being the type of person who would get roped into a situation like this. This is crazy.” She ranted, looking up to the sky. There was no hope trying to search for stars, New York City had too much pollution. “I mean I’m fake dating someone for one million dollars, that fake boyfriend handed me a copy of his credit card to buy myself absolutely anything I want. I’m first row at fights. My Instagram followers are in the tens of thousands now, overnight.” She sighed, looking down at her feet. “So much is going on right now. I’m not sure I’m completely okay with it all, but I signed the contract so I have to stick it out.” Sango nodded. 

“Yeah, rubbing elbows with the elite must be really weird.” Sango added, as they approached the corner. “I didn’t even know  Miroku had those types of connections, he’s so humble  yaknow ?” Sango said, slumping her shoulders a little as the words left her mouth. Kagome nodded, and then snorted. 

“He and  Inuyasha are polar opposites.” Kagome said, as the sign changed allowing them to continue walking. “ Miroku seems really humble. But  Inuyasha ...” She shook her head. “I mean, he’s the talent. So, I guess he has a... _ right  _ to flaunt? But his apartment is  _ super  _ flashy. Uber luxurious. Marble everywhere. I’m sure he could pay off my student loans with just one of his watches, and that Cuban link he wore to dinner could have paid our lease for the year. His car is literally the latest Mercedes. I feel like he’s trying to compensate for something.” Sango laughed. 

“What? You think he’s tiny?” She asked, bumping Kagome’s shoulder. Kagome realized she couldn’t directly answer that question. If she said ‘no’ it would unlock a whole slew of questions she just didn’t feel comfortable answering. She simply shook her head. 

“No... I don’t think he’s trying to do it in that way Sango.” Kagome groaned, rolling her eyes. Why must she always make everything dirty? Then she had the audacity to complain about  Miroku’s lecherous tendencies. “People who constantly feel the need to show off have deep rooted problems they have to work out. At least, most of the time. That, or they’re a narcissist. Or, he’s insecure. And I’m strongly leaning toward him being insecure.” Kagome said, shrugging her shoulders. Sango giggled, and draped an arm around her friend’s shoulder. 

“Wow, nice to see that Harvard Psychology degree is paying off for once.” Sango said, smiling to her friend. “I do think you’re right though, at least in some way. I wouldn’t know. I met the guy once and he barely acknowledged me.” She said, pouting. Kagome raised an eyebrow at her. 

“Yeah, but  Miroku did.” She said in a sing-song voice, causing Sango to roll her eyes at Kagome. “I believe  Miroku , you know. About how he only has eyes for you. It shows in his body language.” Kagome said, as she and Sango walked down the steps to the subway station. “You should give him a chance Sango. You know, how you were telling me to give  Inuyasha a chance?” Kagome said, smirking as she swiped her Metro card across the reader. Sango followed suit. 

“Yeah but I don’t have one million dollars on the line, and free trips wherever and basically a sugar daddy for a year, do I?” Sango retorted lowly, as she they made their way to the train platform. “Plus, your guy isn’t a lecher. Or at least, isn’t a serial flirt.” She looped her arm around Kagome’s and sighed. “I don’t know. He seems really sweet, once you get past all the flirting but that’s exactly the one thing, I can’t get past.” Sango’s attention darted toward a male figure that was just a little way up the platform from them. He looked familiar to her and so she squinted her eyes. “Hey Kagome,” Sango whispered, ” isn’t he the guy that Inuyasha fought?” 

Confused, Kagome followed Sango’s gaze, and her eyes widened. “Holy shit, it’s Koga Wolf.” Kagome said, as she looked over to him. He stood silently on the train platform, smiling down at his phone. His long black hair was again in a high ponytail. He wore a black shirt, and jeans. “What’s he doing here?” She was puzzled, _ shouldn’t he be driving some fancy car?  _ She looked over to Sango, who shrugged. 

“Maybe we should go talk to him?” Sango asked gently, as they continued to stare at the wolf demon. He looked up from his phone, causing Kagome and Sango to advert their gazes to their feet. “Do you think he sensed us staring at him?” Sango  squeaked . 

“Most definitely.” Kagome sighed, and looked up. “Let’s go say hi.” Kagome shrugged, “it can’t hurt to say hi. I don’t think there’s some rule in the contract that says I can’t say anything to other opponents.” She uttered, and with that the woman dragged her friend with her toward the fighter. She tapped him on the shoulder, and watched as the expression on his face changed into a smile. “Hi Koga.” Kagome said, prompting Koga to give her a hug. 

“Hello Kagome.” He cooed back, and looked over to Sango. “Who’s that? A friend?” He asked, beaming a smile in Sango’s direction, Kagome nodded. 

“Yes, I’m sorry for not introducing her.” Kagome said, hitting herself on the forehead lightly. “This is my best friend Sango. Sango, this is Koga Wolf. He was  Inuyasha’s opponent a few weeks ago.” She motioned between the two, and Sango waved a hand at Koga. “That was a nice fight by the way.” Kagome said, punching Koga lightly on the arm. Koga laughed, albeit a little bitterly. 

“Yeah. I should’ve won though. The mutt barely stood a chance.” He said, shrugging his shoulders. “Oh well, the next time we face off I’ll make sure he doesn’t win.” Koga growled; Kagome laughed awkwardly.  _ Dear god why do I always find myself stuck in sticky situations,  _ she thought as Sango glanced over to Kagome. “Anyways, what are you doing at this dirty old train station, princess? Shouldn’t you be with the mutt in his fancy apartment and fancy car?” Koga asked, which fueled the curiosity Kagome had. Koga didn’t have that of his own? 

“Um,” she looked over to Sango and patted her arm, “I would, but I’m spending the night at Sango’s place in the Bronx tonight. We haven’t spent much time together lately.” She lied, although in part she was telling the truth. “And what are you talking about? I’m sure you have all of that too.” She said, in part innocently as she wasn’t exactly sure why Koga accused  Inuyasha of having nice things as if he didn’t. Koga snorted and crossed his arms. “What?” 

“So, you mean to tell me  Inuyasha is letting you two beautiful ladies take the train to the Bronx from Upper East Side? What an asshat he is. If it was me, I’d at least pay an uber if I didn’t feel like driving.” Koga scoffed. He chuckled at Kagome’s last comment. Him? Having what Inuyasha has? “You must be out of your mind.” Koga said, matter-of-factly. “For every fighter like him, there are a bunch of men and women like me who live like regular folk, paycheck to paycheck. He got lucky and started making it big after he beat that  Naraku guy out with one punch, the bastard. Shit landed him so may endorsements and contracts with companies like Nike and Gatorade.” Kagome raised her eyebrows, surprised. 

_ Wow, maybe he’s a lot  _ _ humbler _ _ than I give him credit for.  _

“Oh, wow.” Sango breathed, “with one punch? That’s insane.” 

“So where do you live Koga?” Kagome asked,  tilting her head. “What brought you to the rich parts.” She added, jokingly, earning a laugh from Koga. 

“I live in Chinatown, with a friend of mine. We share a small apartment. I was just in the area because I had a meeting at the agency. You know, where I met you? Then I decided to walk around for a few hours and now I’m on my home.” He said with a shrug. Kagome nodded, and found herself surprised with how much she could relate to Koga, although she couldn’t let him know that she related in anyway. She and Koga were surprising similar, with the only difference being that he fought for a living, but Kagome made coffee and pastries, and now (apparently) was a girlfriend-for-hire. Suddenly, Kagome understood why Koga head resentment toward  Inuyasha . He had everything that Koga didn’t, and Koga wanted it. They heard the rumbling of the train approaching, and Kagome just caught sight of the letter. “Well, it looks like that’s my train.” Koga said, and waved goodbye to Kagome and Sango, before turning toward the  train and elbowing his way through the crowd. 

“Wow,” Sango said through a smile as she waved at Koga, “talk about bitter.” Kagome laughed slightly as she turned her body toward Sango, nodding. 

“I know right? You picked up on that too? Super bitter.” Kagome stated, as she glanced back to the train, and sighed. “I kind of see what he’s getting at though.” Kagome said, shrugging. Sango tilted her head, confused. “Well think about it. You bust your ass every single day, let your body get beat up, do the same exact things someone else does. And that other person is the one that ends up getting lucky and making big money because they punched someone in the right place. Wouldn’t you be just a little bit bitter too?” Kagome asked, rhetorically. Sango furrowed her eyebrows in thought and then nodded her head. 

“I guess so.” She said, shrugging. “But at the same time—that’s just life, Kagome. Some people, like  Inuyasha get lucky...for whatever reason.” Then she shrugged her shoulders. “Some people, like you, move across the country to study at a prestigious university, graduate with a ton of debt and end up being a café shop owner with their best friend from their hometown.” She said, jokingly. Kagome laughed in response. “Everyone gets dealt a different card when it comes to life. It just so happens my hand involves a monk who’s in love with me, and your hand involves two demons who definitely have feelings for you.” 

“Would you stop trying to talk about  Inuyasha and I being an actual thing? Please.” Kagome said lowly, looking around herself. “I’m only in it for the money. Once I get that? We’re opening a new  Cafeium , and expanding the old one.” Sango sighed. “You should date  Miroku , missy.” 

“Would you date Inuyasha?” 

“What?” 

“Would. You. Date.  Inuyasha .” Sango said slowly, blinking at her friend. “Like actually, if you guys had met organically and everything.” 

Without skipping a beat, Kagome responds. “Hell no. His personality sucks.” 

“Okay well there’s your answer.” Sango said, giving a confident nod. “I don’t date  lechers; I date loyal men.” 

“Well Sango,” Kagome said chuckling, “you’re gonna have a hard time trying to find one of those in New York City.” 

“No, I’m not.” Sango retorted, crossing her arms, “I’m  gonna get myself one of those Brooklyn hipsters.” 

“Dear god Sango, not the  Brooklyn hipsters.” 

“Those man buns seem mighty attractive right now.” Sango joked, as the rumbling of another train approaching sounded. “Way better than a rich womanizer.” 

“I’ve seen way too many man buns to find them attractive.” Kagome said back, shaking her head. “I still don’t understand how  Inuyasha and his brother keep such long, healthy hair in buns all the time. You should see the volume Sango, it’s like it never ends.” 

“Yeah, like you. You never shut up about  Inuyasha .” Sango retorted, jokingly, although her remark held a bite of truth. Kagome grumbled at her friend. Must she always bring him into the conversation? 

“You bring him up way more than I do.” Kagome spat, as she and Sango made their way into the train. “Maybe we should switch spots.” 


	9. "Human emotions"

He hated these nights. The nights when he was at his most vulnerable. He sat in front of the floor to ceiling windows next to his kitchen, watching the shimmering lights of the city that never slept. He often didn’t sleep on these nights too, consumed with his human emotions and thoughts. On days like this he didn’t even want to leave his apartment. He would spend his days watching movies, drinking and eating whatever he could find in his fridge. He only allowed Miroku to come to see him, and occasionally his brother. He ran a hand through his now black hair, as he reached for the bottle of wine that sat next to him, and took a swig of it. He looked over his shoulder as he heard the elevator ding. “Miroku?” Inuyasha called, as he turned his body and pulled himself to his feet. “Did you bring food?” He added, as he walked over to the elevator. He saw Miroku shaking himself off, with a pizza box in hand. He smiled as he snatched the pizza box from his friend, and walked over to the kitchen, setting it down on his island counter. 

Miroku sighed, as he flipped the switch that turned on the lamps that were above the island counter. “Why do you insist on remaining in the dark during the night of the new moon? No wonder you’re always depressed on these nights.” Miroku said, as he threw his rain jacket onto the chair in front of the island. He opened the box and reached for a pepperoni pizza slice. “Kagome and Sango are coming over in a bit.” Miroku announced, causing Inuyasha to give him a glare. Miroku simply waved him off, shrugging his shoulders. He understood that the night of the new moon was extremely debilitating for Inuyasha, and vulnerable—but he also understood that in order for Kagome and Inuyasha to overcome their differences, and stop being so belligerent toward each other, they needed to bond. He was getting tired of the constant complains from Kagome, and Inuyasha’s berating of the woman every chance he got. “How was practice today?” He asked, as he leaned on the counter. 

“Miroku.” Inuyasha said, coldly. Miroku felt the hairs on the back of his neck raise as Inuyasha grabbed onto the collar of his shirt, dragging Miroku closer to him. His lips brushed against Miroku’s ear, “I will personally kill you if you don’t call that bitch and her friend and tell them to not come over.” He let go of Miroku, pushing him away from him. Inuyasha glared at him as his hands balled up into fists. “Miroku this has to be the worst thing you’ve ever done to me.” 

“Really?” Miroku asked, as he positioned himself, ready to run away at any moment from his friend’s wrath. “Are you sure? So, paying someone to pretend to be your girlfriend because you keep being a dickhead isn’t the worst thing, I’ve done to you?” Miroku asked, laughing nervously. Inuyasha sighed, and lunged toward his torso, and tackled Miroku to the ground. Straddled, Miroku struggled to squeeze himself out of Inuyasha’s grasp, which caused Inuyasha to tighten his inner knees around Miroku’s waist. “Look! They don’t know you turn human once a month, just say you dyed your hair black!” Miroku said defensively, holding his hands in front of his face, as Inuyasha got ready to punch him. “You and Kagome need to talk. Seriously.” Inuyasha blinked and furrowed his eyebrows. Seeing it safe to put his hands down, he sighed and looked at his friend. His usual bright, golden eyes were now an amber grey, and his silver hair was now black. His claws disappeared and became normal finger nails, but his strength remained the same. “I need you two to actually act like you like each other, dude.” Miroku said, and he took this time to flip Inuyasha over, so that he was the one straddling his friend now. “Otherwise, tabloids will begin to pick up on the fact that you two act really happy at fights and out and about, but it seems strained. We need this to look natural.” Inuyasha rolled his eyes, and looked away from his friend. 

“I’m a fighter Miroku. An athlete. I’m not an actor.” Inuyasha grumbled, as he kicked Miroku off of him and got to his feet. “I don’t like her.” He added, shaking his head. “She’s so.... defensive, immature, uptight! I don’t know. I wouldn’t even be friends with her.” He said, as he turned back toward Miroku, and extended a hand to him. Miroku glared at him. “Oh, come on, dipshit. If anyone should be mad here it’s me. Do you _really_ think it’s the best idea to bring her and her friend to my home right now? It’s the dumbest idea you’ve ever had, Miroku and you’re so fucking lucky I’m not demon right now or I would rip your fucking head off.” 

“You could technically do that regardless.” Miroku retorted as he took Inuyasha’s hand and hoisted himself up. Dusting himself off, he went back to the pizza box and took out a slice. “Look...I know what I’m doing is fucked—will you stop glaring? --I know what I’m doing is fucked up. However,--Inuyasha I’m serious, please stop glaring--, you two need to have a serious talk about what you can do to better show respect toward each other. Mostly you, Inuyasha.” 

“Me?” Inuyasha snorted, rolling his eyes as he walked back to the spot where he left the wine bottle, and reached for it, taking a drink as he walked back to the kitchen, setting the bottle down on the counter. Miroku made a face, although Inuyasha ignored it. “Why me? I’m not the one in the wrong here.” 

Again, Miroku found himself exasperated with his friend’s refusal to accept when he may have committed a wrong. _Must he, at all times, be dense? Does it pain him to reflect on his own actions?_ Miroku thought, as he took a bite out of his pizza. “Have you talked to your lawyer? About the charges being pressed from the last time I bailed you out?” Inuyasha huffed. “Really, Inuyasha? You can’t fight if you’re in jail. I mean...you can, you just won’t make money—just enemies.” Although Miroku was more than sure that Inuyasha could hold his own in a jailhouse brawl, he wasn’t too keen on the thought. 

“Which Lawyer?! I have 3!” Inuyasha retorted, taking a bite out of a pizza slice. “I’ll talk to one of them tomorrow. No promises it’ll be the right one, however.” Inuyasha then looked over to his phone, which laid on the counter. “It’s kind of late...didn’t you say they were coming? And what's with you and this Sango chick?” Inuyasha asked, wiggling his eyebrows at Miroku. “Have you fucked yet?” 

“Not all men are dogs, such as you Inuyasha.” Miroku said dryly, earning a growl from Inuyasha. “We are...talking. I’m really trying with her.” Miroku clarified, although he himself had not much of an idea of what ‘talking’ meant. Inuyasha raised his eyebrows. “I really like her.” 

“Oh wow...seems like your womanizing days are coming to a quick end.” Inuyasha responded, though he was mildly amused by his friend's newfound loyalty to a single woman. Since their adolescence, Miroku was always the lecherous of the two, as Inuyasha’s sexual desires came and went, and rose and fell with intensity. Much of Inuyasha’s life up to this point had been spent quietly observing Miroku’s sexual escapades. They were always in abundance. “What a shame.” Inuyasha said sarcastically. 

“Shut up. You need to get over Kikyo.” 

_Kikyo._

Ah, yes. Inuyasha’s first, and to this day, only true love. His heart still skipped a beat every time he thought of her, and no woman could ever attain her level of perfection. Unfortunately for Inuyasha, she was hard to keep once obtained and she was constantly cheating on him. Their relationship blossomed in his first year of High School, and continued until his career started to take off, and he moved to the states. It was a long, and grueling five-year relationship, fueled primarily by lust and sexual desire. He always got a burning feeling to reach out to Kikyo again, and it intensified every time he turned human. But he always fought it off. “I am over her.” Inuyasha said, earning an empty laugh from Miroku. “I am I said!” Miroku rolled his eyes. 

“No, you aren’t, Inuyasha.” Miroku said, as he heard the elevator ding and Sango’s voice exclaim as she admired the apartment. “Look. It’s our guest.” Miroku whispered, and raised his eyebrows as he mouthed “be nice.” 

“No promises.” Inuyasha muttered, as he watched Miroku call out to the women from over his shoulder. Inuyasha braced himself for the usual shocked expression. 

“Miroku you never told me that Inuyasha had such a love- oh my god.” 

And, there it was. 

Sango stared with a mixture of confusing and intrigue in her eyes, as she looked over Inuyasha. His usual silver hair was now black, he had human ears, darker eyes, and his skin was a light tan color. His usual sharp jawline was softer now, almost more feminine. Beside Sango, Kagome slowly put down the boxes of pizza and took the bag of liquor bottles from her. 

“Inuyasha...you look quite different.” Sango said. 

“Well duh, captain obvious.” Inuyasha spat back, and finished off his pizza slice, before reaching for another. Kagome glared at him from her spot next to Miroku, and Inuyasha felt his stomach flip as her large chocolate brown eyes connected with his dark grey ones. “Got something to say?” He said. 

“Paparazzi was downstairs.” Kagome grumbled, as she went to take a slice from the pizza box Miroku brought. “Just thought you should know.” She then gave Inuyasha a once over and grunted. “So, on your license, what color do you put for hair and stuff? Silver slash black?” Her question was more to start a conversation, although she was mildly interested. She was taught in college that many half demons lose their powers on a particular night of the lunar cycle, although she had never seen one. Now that she did, she had to admit that she expected much more change from Inuyasha; but it seemed that although his physique had changed, he was the still the same arrogant bastard he was any other day. 

“I put silver.” He muttered back, although he couldn’t quite muster the same intensity of spite this time. Kagome quirked an eyebrow at the man. “I put gold for eye color. I change twelve times a year. Not really that important.” Inuyasha added, as he took a slice of pizza and then pushed the box toward Kagome. He grabbed the wine bottle he was drinking from and moved toward the living room area, plopping himself down on the couch. 

“Wow...that went better than I expected.” Miroku muttered to himself, as he turned his attentions back toward Sango, who’s attentions he was still trying to win. “So, my dearest, have you slept on my offer yet?” Miroku asked, flashing a small smile at Sango. Sango rolled her eyes, and tossed her hair over her shoulder as she walked over to Kagome, who seemed to be in deep thought about what pizza she wanted to take a slice of. Miroku sighed as he opened the refrigerator and took out three beers. He handed one to Kagome and Sango, and made his way over to the living room area in front of the kitchen, where Inuyasha was mindlessly scrolling through his phone. “Are you still mad at me?” 

“Fuming.” Inuyasha replied, as he stared down at his phone. “And you’re letting them help themselves to my fridge. How nice of you.” He added, bitter anger in his voice. Truly, this had to have been the most inconsiderate, foolish, and violating thing that Miroku had ever done to Inuyasha. But what more could he expect from the same man that brought Kagome into his home a mere month ago? He took a small sip out of the wine bottle, before he reached onto the coffee table and grabbed the TV remote, turning on the TV. He heard whispers in the kitchen, before Sango and Kagome walked over to the living room area and sat down on his couch. He scooted closer to Miroku. 

It was awkward for a while, as neither the men nor women knew of what to say to one another. It was clear that Inuyasha wanted everyone to leave, and it was also clear that Miroku was determined to stay. The only sounds that filled the silence was the movie that Inuyasha had found on the TV, and the chewing of food. Annoyed by the stubborn silence, Sango finally broke it. “So,” She started, “Inuyasha, what was Miroku like as a kid?” She wasn’t particularly interested in the topic, but seeing as Miroku was trying his hardest to catch her attention (a valiant effort, even she was willing to acknowledge) she figured what better way to get to know her potential boyfriend. She noticed a small smile creep onto Inuyasha’s lips, as he turned toward Miroku, snickering. 

“Oh, where do I begin.” He breathed, shaking his head. Inuyasha had tons of stories about Miroku and his idiotic endeavors (as he should, due to a lifetime of friendship). “Where should I start Miroku? Maybe I’ll start with that one time in grade 9-” 

“We don’t talk about that incident, Inuyasha.” Miroku said sternly, as he took a drink from his beer. Inuyasha arched an eyebrow. “I’m serious, Inuyasha.” 

“What happened in grade nine, Miroku?” Kagome asked from beside Inuyasha, arching an eyebrow. His secrecy piqued her interest now, as she couldn’t think of anything she had done in grade nine for her to be that guarded over. “Did you like pull a school prank and get caught or something?” 

“One time, in grade nine, Miroku thought it would be a good idea to steal the answer key a teacher had of a comprehension test we had. And the idiot tried to break in to the classroom when the teacher, I think her name was Mrs.Yamaguchi or something like that, was grading things. Instead of turning away and abandoning the mission, Miroku decided it was appropriate to try and steal the answer key regardless.” Inuyasha said, draping an arm over Miroku’s shoulders. “He was suspended for like a month, the poor fool.” Miroku groaned, and pushed Inuyasha off of him. “Oh, and remember the one time in grade 11, when you tried to fuck a teacher for an A?” 

“He did _what?!”_ Kagome and Sango exclaimed, earning a slow nod from Inuyasha. Although the women knew of Miroku’s lecherous tendencies, they never saw him as the type to try to screw his way to something-or, well...actually, now that they thought about it, it seemed like something he would definitely do. Eyebrows twitching, the two women looked past Inuyasha to Miroku, who shrunk into his seat in the couch, slowly taking a sip from his beer. “Miroku!” They yelled. 

_Now I know the type of man he is. Nothing but a damn lecher._ Sango thought as she shook her head. “And I’m supposed to trust _you_ in a relationship?” 

“Well, being in a relationship isn’t exactly going to keep me from passing or failing a grade is it?” Miroku snapped back, giving a glare to Inuyasha, who simply shrugged and got up to get himself another pizza slice. ”Besides, I was like...seventeen? I think...” Miroku scratched at his chin gently as he tried to remember his age. “I don’t know. I’m twenty-four now, which means...” 

“Miroku that’s honestly disgusting.” Kagome said, and Miroku widened his eyes at her and pointed a finger at Inuyasha, who was coming back to the living room with the boxes of pizza, so they wouldn’t have to leave again. 

“You can’t honestly tell me you think Inuyasha is damned saint, can you?!” Miroku yelled, as Inuyasha took his place between him and Kagome. He shifted his now dark grey eyes between the two and blinked. 

“What about me?” He retorted, taking a bite from his pizza slice as he changed the channel on the TV. “I haven’t done a damn thing. I am a saint.” He said, shaking his head a little as he talked. Miroku growled at him lowly, causing Inuyasha to shoot daggers at Miroku. “ _I said I haven’t done a_ **_damned_ ** _thing,_ _Miroku-kun_ _.”_ Miroku gulped and was about to refute Inuyasha’s claim when Kagome spoke up from beside Inuyasha. 

“Oh, I know _you_ definitely aren’t a saint, Inuyasha.” Kagome purred, causing Inuyasha to finally acknowledge her presence. He arched an eyebrow at her, and stared at her eyes. He couldn’t decipher if she was flirting with him, or if she was genuinely referring to something he might have offhandedly mentioned, or his criminal record. Perhaps it was a mixture of everything. Kagome rested her temple on her fist. 

“That sounds mildly threatening.” Inuyasha said, as he cleared his throat and took another slice of pizza. “I seriously have never done anything as disgusting as that.” Inuyasha muttered, shrugging his shoulders. Sango exhaled heavily from beside Kagome, causing Inuyasha to glare at her. “You got anything to say?” 

“Just find it hard to believe is all.” Sango said plainly, as she too reached for another bite of pizza. “What else has Miroku done?” 

“He stole a cow once.” Miroku blurted, attempting to change the subject. Inuyasha glared at Miroku, who simply glared back. “One time for our agriculture class we had to go on a trip to the farmlands and Inuyasha decided it would be a great idea to steal some farmer’s cow and let it go into the forest.” 

“The cow deserved it.” Inuyasha defended himself, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly. “The fucker was looking at me weird.” 

_Interesting...his life has had so many weird moments,_ Kagome thought to herself, as she blinked and looked between Miroku and Inuyasha. “That still isn’t as bad as you trying to fuck your teacher for an A. What the fuck is wrong with you? Aren’t you supposed to come from a family of monks?” 

“I think he says that just to sound cool.” Sango said dryly, taking a bite from her pizza. “That or he actually does come from a family of monks, but they’ve lost their way over the years.” Kagome and Inuyasha nodded in agreement, causing Miroku to sigh heavily and stand up from his spot on the couch. 

“That’s it,” he said, “I’m leaving. I’m tired of you guys attacking me. I am a good person.” He started, and walked toward the elevator. Inuyasha stared after Miroku, and watched as he pressed the button to call the elevator. He entered the elevator, and their heard the sound of metal doors sliding together. 

“Well, talk about sensitive.” Kagome muttered, as she reached forward and took a slice of pizza. Inuyasha nodded his head quietly, as he glanced over at the two women. He found himself, now, in an unusual predicament as he was left with two women he didn’t know very well in his apartment. In addition to this, Inuyasha wasn’t one to have guests very often, which is exactly how he liked it. His space, was his space. The only people allowed to invade his space were Miroku, Myoga, and occasionally Sesshomaru and Rin (when Rin drags Sesshomaru to Inuyasha in her own attempts to mend their relationship). He ran a hand through his black hair, and sighed. 

The conversation had died down rather quickly, after Miroku left. Kagome half expected Sango to leave—as she had some questions to ask Inuyasha, but she wasn’t going to pressure her friend to leave, especially seeing as the apartment was not hers. Her eyes landed on the large portrait of the magazine cover she spotted when she first came to the apartment. She could faintly make out Inuyasha’s hair, it was white in the picture. She heard Sango shift uncomfortably in her seat and get up. Kagome’s head snapped toward her friend. “Kagome, I’m going to call myself an uber home, okay? I think I should leave ahead of you because there was paparazzi downstairs when we arrived. I think me leaving before you would help the image of you two being a couple and all. Inuyasha are you okay with her staying for a little bit?” Kagome turned her attention to Inuyasha, who looked between the two and shrugged his shoulders. 

“Don’t really care.” He muttered, “Just be careful walking through the paps, they can be brutal.” He added, and waved a hand to Sango. 

“Will do. I’ll see you later, Kagome.” Sango said, as she made her way toward the elevator. Kagome widened her eyes at Sango, who glared at her as a way to tell her to stay. Sighing, she waved a hand at Sango as she left. _And then there were two,_ Kagome thought as she turned her head back toward the TV. The silence was suffocating to her, and felt paralyzed on her spot next to Inuyasha. 

“Did Miroku also tell you about us having to have a talk?” Inuyasha asked, clearing his throat as he reached for the bottle of wine, and took a swig out of it. Kagome nodded her head silently. “He said something about us having to like each other or some shit.” 

“Yes, he said that to me too.” Kagome chimed from her spot next to him. “It’s too bad your personality is so disagreeable.” Kagome added lowly, making Inuyasha grumble, and move farther away from her, so they were now sitting within two seats of each other. 

“I could say the same thing about you.” Inuyasha retorted, crossing his arms over his chest. Kagome huffed, as she turned her attentions to the TV, watching whatever action movie was playing currently, although she thought about anything other than the movie. “I don’t like you.” 

“Why?” Kagome asked plainly. “I haven’t done shit to you.” She added, throwing her hands up in defeat. Inuyasha squinted his eyes at her. “I haven’t!” 

“You’ve slapped me, you’ve called me ‘dog boy’ repeatedly, you’re rude, you scream a lot, you complain about everything, you’re ungrateful and inconsiderate, and quite frankly you’re the epitome of everything and anything that I hate in a woman.” Inuyasha said quickly, and glanced over to Kagome, who seemed slighted by his comments. His gaze softened, “If anyone hasn’t done shit here, it’s me.” Inuyasha adds. 

“You repeatedly call me ‘bitch’ and wench. I told you I apologize for slapping you, but I’ll do it again if you want me to. You’re extremely rude and condescending, you do nothing but berate me every chance you get, you act like a spoiled little bastard most of the time. You think you’re above me in some-” 

“No! You think _you_ are above me in some way!” Inuyasha exclaimed, pointing a finger at Kagome, who rolled her eyes at him. “Yes, you fucking do! I can see it all over that pretty little face of yours!” 

_“That pretty little face of yours”_

The sentence stuck out to Kagome like a sore thumb, and she locked her eyes with Inuyasha’s dark grey ones. She searched over his face as he tightened his jaw, his finger turning back into the fist he made with his hand. She watched as his face began to slowly turn red, and she moved toward him, causing Inuyasha to move backward one spot, his tailbone against the arm of the couch. Kagome placed her hands on either side of his thighs, on the leather of the couch. Inuyasha glanced down at her hands, and then looked up at Kagome. “If anyone acts entitled, and superior to others. It’s you, Inuyasha Takahashi. You treat everyone around you like they’re scum on earth because your entire life you’ve felt like it. Now that you’re in a position of power you think it’s okay for you to act like a complete ass to those around you.” Kagome said lowly, her face close to Inuyasha. He could feel the warmth of her breath on his cheeks. “But you forget one thing: everyone around you right now is only trying to help you fix the mess you’ve made of your life. You have a chip on your shoulder from being a half-demon, and you think that’s a damn good excuse to treat others like shit. Well, you’re dead wrong. Sooner or later, they’ll all scatter like roaches if you keep this act up, and god help you once that happens...pretty boy.” 

Inuyasha wasn’t sure how to react. On one hand, he was angered that Kagome would make such bold accusations about his life to him; on another, he felt as though he had been slapped with a hard reality check. A reality check he’d needed for a while. He glared at Kagome, and inched his face closer to hers, covering her hands with his own. “You think you’re so smart huh?” He said. “You think you know everything there is to know about me? You think you can just barge into my life and pretend like you know me? Like you know who I am? What I’ve gone through?” Inuyasha shook his head, and moved so his lips were against Kagome’s ear. “You don’t know shit about me, sweetheart, but you can find out...if you’d like.” He teased, and then suddenly pulled away from Kagome. _Stupid human emotions! No!_

They locked eyes again, and this time the tension was different. It was still paralyzing, but Kagome felt a tingling sensation down her back as she hovered over Inuyasha’s lower body. She clenched her jaw as she stared at him, and then finally broke her eyes away, looking over at the empty pizza boxes. Inuyasha stared at the woman, his eyes fixated on her face. His mind wondered how soft it might be, what her chapstick tastes like, what does her skin taste like. He groaned mentally, and cursed himself for these human nights. They brought forth emotions that he suppressed, and emotions that his demon self was able to ignore. But as a human, nothing could be ignored, his feelings were out in the open for him to wallow in and acknowledge and he hated that. He hated the fact that he couldn’t simply ignore the fact that found Kagome and her stubbornness extremely attractive. He couldn’t ignore that he felt alone in the world. He couldn’t ignore the dread he felt about thinking that he will outlive his friends. He couldn’t ignore the resentment he felt toward Sesshomaru for his negligence of Inuyasha. He couldn’t ignore the fact that he hated his father for constantly bailing on him and Sesshomaru. 

“I’m leaving.” Kagome announced, as she backed away from Inuyasha and got up from the couch. “I’m calling myself an Uber home.” 

“Kagome,” Inuyasha said softly, making Kagome glance in his direction. “Wait.” 

“What do you want Inuyasha?’ Kagome retorted. “I’m trying to do everything I can to get closer to you so we can maybe ride this year out in peace but you fight me at every turn, dude. Literally. I’m trying my damn, because unlike you I actually am counting on the money I’m gonna get paid in eleven months, alright?” 

“I just don’t understand why I’m the one that has to open up to you all the fucking time!” Inuyasha yelled, getting up from his spot on the couch. He grabbed Kagome by the wrist, and stopped her from turning away from him. Kagome looked over her shoulder at the man, whose eyes smoldered with anger and annoyance. “Why can’t you just be the first to do something for once!” 

For a second, Kagome froze in her spot. She felt Inuyasha’s hands wrap around her waist, and lift her up, and she instinctively wrapped her legs around his hips, and her crossed her arms behind his neck. Her hands tangled into his long, black hair as she planted a kiss on his lips, feeling the heat from his body against hers. Kagome could taste the wine on his lips, as she felt herself pushed up against the wall, breathing heavily as Inuyasha’s lips slowly worked their way down her jaw and to her neck. She felt his tongue slide slowly over the sweet spot of her neck, causing her breathe to hitch in her throat. She felt her skin be taken by his lips, a gentle nip and then suckling. “Inuyasha...” Kagome breathed, finally coming to her senses. “Inuyasha.” 

“What?” He responded, pulling away from her neck, disappointment in his eyes. Kagome looked at him, searching his eyes for any sign of the man she knew him to be. Someone who was arrogant and completely disgusted by her. She saw no trace of that now, only a man who desperately wanted to continue kissing her, and caressing her body. But there was something different about his gaze. It was like he wasn’t looking directly at her. Like he was looking through her, to something else. Inuyasha placed his hands on either side of her tiny waist, holding her as she unwrapped her legs from around his hips. 

“We can’t do this.” Kagome said, placing a hand gently on his chest. She could still feel his heart racing, as she looked up at him, shaking her head slightly. “I-...this is a mistake.” 

Inuyasha stepped away from the woman to give her space, running a hand through his hair, he turned away from her. “Um...yeah. You’re right.” He responded, “I’m sorry. I don’t know what got into me.” He muttered, his face turning red. _Duh, your human emotions got the best of you, you dumb fuck. Dame_ _Inuyasha_ _! Dame! Dame! Dame! Dame! Fuck!_

Kagome shook her head, as she walked past Inuyasha, gathering her phone from the coffee table. “It’s...alright, Inuyasha.” She said awkwardly, raising two fingers to her lips, touching the area where his lips had been. She walked to the kitchen and grabbed her purse from the counter top, and opened the Uber app on her phone. “I think I’m going to go home.” 

“Yeah...” Inuyasha said, as he let his body fall back onto the couch. He wished that the earth would open a big gaping hole for him to throw himself into, never to be seen again. “I think that’s best.” _This is all_ _Miroku’s_ _fault,_ Inuyasha thought, _I’m going to fucking kill him one day, For real._

“Inuyasha?” Kagome asked from her spot at the counter, causing Inuyasha to look over the couch hesitantly. “When you kissed me...just now. When I made you pull away... _were you thinking about someone else?_ ” 


	10. "Inadequate"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this update took so long! Between studying for exams, choosing a college to go to, and corona, I was struggling to find time to sit down and focus on this story!! I do sincerely apologize for the long wait, and I hope this chapter helps with that.  
> On another note, I've been thinking of starting a playlist of songs that have inspired this story and that I listen to to get into the mood of writing this story, and sharing it here! Comment down below if it's something you're interested in.

“And it’s thanks to this organization that I have been able to fulfill my dream of becoming a champion,” Inuyasha said, looking up from the speech he (read: Miroku) had written and into the blinding camera lights. “In order to show my gratitude, I am proud to announce that along with my donation of ten thousand dollars, I will donate my winnings from my upcoming fight against Naraku Nakamura.” He heard gasps and whispers in the crowd, as he clenched his jaw, locking eyes with Kagome who sat at their designated table. She smiled at him, and raised her glass as if to tell him ‘good job’. He placed his hands on the edges of the podium he was standing at, and looked out at the crowd again. The room was filled with old human and full demon men and woman who had money. He could feel the judgement in their eyes, how they narrowed them at him every time he spoke; their greed was evident. They all wanted a piece of him, and his money. Nonetheless, he continued his speech to the executive board of the charity that introduced him to martial arts as a channel for his anger and depression, although exactly how much it helped was a completely different discussion. But he had to appreciate how the charity took him in as a boy, or at least, he had to pretend to, now that he was successful. “The Hanyou Child Global Alliance lifted me in my darkest moments, and encouraged me in my highest. I am proud to become an ambassador for the organization, and begin to help other hanyou children who struggle to find their place in the world.” _Gag me_ , Inuyasha thought, as he smiled to the crowd. His ears flickered at the sound of clapping. Ironically, the people in the board of directors of the organization were all full-demons and humans, it caused him to chuckle a bit internally, as he gave his thanks, and walked off of the stage, and back toward his table. Kagome stood from her seat, and gave him a small kiss on the cheek. A gesture he ignored, knowing well that it was simply a publicity thing, perhaps at the direction of Miroku. He thanked her, and then extended his hand to Miroku. “So, remind me again how giving away all of my fortune is gonna help my image?” Inuyasha asked him, after the room had settled down, and the soft mumblings of conversations began to take over. Miroku sighed and shrugged his shoulders.

“Donations to charity are always viewed as good things, no matter how bad your image is,” Miroku said, as he took a bite from the chicken that was on his plate. “You just so happened to have been involved with this charity at a young age, and whether you like it or not their mental health services and allowing you access to boxing, kickboxing and MMA back in Japan, really is what brought you to the level you’re at today: championship.” Miroku said blandly, causing Kagome to look at Inuyasha.

His jaw was clenched as he struggled to hold his tongue, and then his face switched to one of indifference. “Feh! Whatever, not like those therapy sessions were much help. I’ll give them credit for gym sessions though, those came in handy.”

“Of course they did,” Kagome piped up from beside them, “they’ve helped you amass a net worth of how much again? Was it two hundred million?” Kagome asked jokingly, scratching lightly at the side of her face, “I don’t quite remember.”

“You don’t gotta remember.” Inuyasha said, glaring at the woman, “all you have to do is remember who’s buying you all the pretty dresses and shoes you’ve been wearing. Which reminds me-- I know my credit card doesn’t have a limit but Jesus fucking Christ do you need five hundred-dollar shoes all the damn time? And they all look the exact same too!” He grumbled at her, although since their ‘incident’ in his apartment a few days ago neither one of them had been able to muster up the same anger and hostility toward each other. In fact, neither of them had brought it up. Thankfully, their friends were too dense to notice their subtle change in behavior. He glanced at Kagome, taking her in with his eyes. The shimmer in the diamond choker Miroku managed to get Inuyasha’s stylist to borrow from Cartier was mesmerizing; a nice addition to her emerald colored silk evening gown.

“Well sorry for taking advantage of the fact that I get to keep everything I buy with your card when all of this is over. You’re telling me that if you were in my position you wouldn’t go crazy at the mall?” Kagome muttered back, matching the intensity of his glare. “Unlike you, I’m a dull human to kind of needs nice clothing to look good.” Inuyasha blinked, taking a back slightly by her comment. Kagome reached toward his neck, taking the short, cuban link chain he wore in her hands. “Next I’ll buy myself a pretty thing like this.”

“Matching cuban links is actually a good idea for the press. It’ll be ‘goals’ you should really do it.” Miroku said, with a mouth full of food. Causing Inuyasha to slowly turn his head in his direction. “Or not, you know. I’m just going to enjoy this lovely herb roasted chicken, man this is delicious.”

“I kind of agree with Miroku.” Sesshomaru finally piped up from his seat across from Inuyasha at the round table, tilting his head to one side to see past the dramatic flower arrangements. He came alone to this, as Rin was caught up working on-call at the hospital. Alas, the woes of marrying an orthopedic surgeon. No—a resident, the road to becoming a doctor was much longer than that of becoming a Lawyer. Rin got the upmost respect from Sesshomaru for her line of work. Unlike his brother. “Aren’t having his and hers accessories and cars a really big thing amongst young, rich couples?” Sesshomaru inquired, blinking his eyes.

“There’s no way in hell I’m letting her buy one of these.” Inuyasha grumbled to his brother. “And you’re one to talk--don’t you and Rin have matching cars? What is it with you and Miroku spoiling Kagome with my card?”

“We do not have matching cars, we just so happened to buy the same car in different colors.” Sesshomaru glowered, “and I do not spoil Ms. Higurashi. I take offense that you would even suggest that. I spoil no one. Rin can spoil herself, with her own money.”

 _Wow, these brothers sure are different when it comes to women_ , Kagome thought as she glanced between the two. “So, who’s Naraku?” Kagome asked, looking around the table at the men. “Is he here?”

“No,” Inuyasha replied, “or at least...I’m not sure. The air here is filled with so many colognes and perfumes it’s kind of making me sick.” he muttered, “I can’t see him either. Naraku is my next opponent. Heard he’s ass though, and likes to bribe—whenever possible.” Inuyasha shrugged his shoulders, adjusting the suit jacket he wore. “Nasty personality. Probably has never been laid a day in his life, and just begging for an ass beating. Got busted twice for doping, and was suspended for a year. Now he’s back and looking to challenge. He’s washed up, old, and irrelevant, but he keeps scratching around for ways to be.” Kagome blinked, and then looked over to Miroku, who nodded his head.

“He’s got a hair trigger temper. Crazy look in his eyes. Long black hair. Dude gives me the creeps. Always seems like something is off with him.” Miroku added, shuddering.

“I haven’t the slightest idea what you two idiots are rambling on about. He’s old, yes, and a bit unstable. But I wouldn’t go beyond that.” Sesshomaru added, as he looked around the venue where the charity event was held.

“I’m sorry.” A new voice purred from behind Sesshomaru. Kagome looked up, and made eye contact with the unknown man. He was tall, but only slightly taller than Inuyasha and was built similarly, although he seemed to have much more lean muscle. His jawline was sharp, and clean shaven. A fringe of black bangs covered the top part of his face, as his eyes were casted down looking at Sesshomaru’s head. “Who is _unstable_?” Kagome looked over to Inuyasha, who clenched his jaw.

“Speak of the devil.” Inuyasha muttered, looking up from his seat Naraku. “If you’re lookin’ to bribe, you’ve come to the wrong place.” He added, taking a sip from his champagne flute, seemingly unbothered by Naraku’s presence.

“Naraku.” Sesshomaru said plainly, “pleasure seeing you again. All went well in jail, I hope?”

 _Jail?_ Kagome questioned internally, shifting her eyes between Inuyasha and Naraku. She could almost slice the tension that surrounded them and she could feel the eyes of the other ambassadors and board members staring at the table. She felt her ears tingle as embarrassment filled her, and she placed a hand on Inuyasha’s bicep. “Inuyasha don’t do anything rash, everyone is staring.” She muttered, and then glanced over to Miroku who seemed unsure of what to do. Her face deadpanned. Wasn’t he supposed to know what to in these situations?

“Rash?” Inuyasha questioned sweetly, with a wide smile on his face. It made Kagome’s hair stand at the back of her neck. He never smiled like that. Certainly, he had to have something up his sleeve. He put a hand on her arm and shook his head. “Of course, I wouldn’t do anything rash! That dumb son of a bitch isn’t even worth my breath.”

“And yet here you are, wasting your breath on me.” Naraku said, glaring down at Inuyasha. “You truly are a hypocrite in everything you do, aren’t you?” He added, crossing his arms. Kagome noticed the faint discoloring of a scar on Naraku’s wrist, but she said nothing. Naraku looked over to Kagome, “and you...Kagome. What do you find attractive in a beast such as him?”

“Since when did you give a shit who I dated you senile bitch?” Inuyasha growled lowly at him. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Miroku tug at Kagome’s shoulder, and then he saw Kagome lean toward him and whisper in his ear.

“It’s time to leave before this gets uglier!” Kagome whisper yelled in his ears, pulling away to give Inuyasha a strained look. Inuyasha glowered at her. “C’mon, don’t be a jackass.” She pleaded quietly, glancing between Inuyasha and his enemy. Kagome realized that she often found herself to be the one to calm Inuyasha’s tempers, as Miroku and Sesshomaru merely let them run their course.

“I think that’s enough out of you, Naraku.” Sesshomaru said coolly, or rather a coolly one could sound given being caught between two people with hair trigger tempers. “You can leave the fighting for the octagon.” He added as he turned in his seat and placed a clawed hand on his abdomen, pushing Naraku away with gentle force. Although seeing Naraku and his brother bicker like an old married couple, he was growing tired of being caught between their jabs at one another. “Run along now then.”

“Run along?” Naraku questioned, turning his attentions toward Sesshomaru. “I am not a child.”

“You sure act like one.” Inuyasha grumbled rolling his eyes. Golden orbs met red ones as annoyance began to fill Inuyasha. He was, in all honesty, not looking for any trouble tonight. He was just looking to get in and out of the charity ceremony as quickly as possible. “What do you want, Naraku?” Inuyasha sighed, rubbing his temple with his index and middle finger, closing his eyes.

“Nothing in particular.” Naraku said, as Inuyasha rose from his seat. He watched as Inuyasha adjusted his blazer, and let his fingertips brush against the table. Inuyasha turned toward Kagome, and extended a hand, helping her out of her seat. He could hear the murmurs of the executive board members around them, their judgmental eyes staring at the half demons, and their rather tense interaction. “I just want you to watch your back Inuyasha!” Naraku calls over Sesshomaru’s shoulder, watching as Inuyasha walked away with the mysterious beauty he had yet to get to know. He watched the mesmerizing sway of her hips, and then grumbled as Miroku blocked his view. “Be careful! Else someone take that belt from you.”

“Pardon?” Inuyasha called over his shoulder, stopping in his tracks.

“Inuyasha, please. He’s antagonizing you. Let ‘em be.” Miroku said calmly, motioning for Inuyasha to continue walking. Inuyasha lifted a hand, and turned on his heel, brushing past Miroku. “Inuyasha!”

Sesshomaru placed a hand on Inuyasha’s shoulder, and shook his head gently. “Don’t do it, little brother.” He said sternly, narrowing his golden eyes. “You don’t need this right now.” He added, glancing over his shoulder where Naraku stood, his fists at his sides as he glared down the young champion. “He reeks of alcohol.”

“Even more of a reason to lay him on his ass. Wouldn’t you agree, brother?” Inuyasha said, swatting away Sesshomaru’s hand.

“Inuyasha don’t do anything stupid!” Kagome called from her spot. One hand wrapped around the silk of her dress while the other gingerly touched the diamonds of her choker. “Come back!” She noticed a flicker of his ear; a sign of his acknowledgement, and symbol of his blatant disregard for her words. “Inuyasha! Stop being stupid!”

“Aw,” Naraku said, smirking at Inuyasha. “Are you gonna let your bothersome bitch tell you what to do now?” His voice was becoming increasingly more annoying to Inuyasha. The slow slur of his words, the depth and smokiness of his voice; it reminded him of thick, black, tar. God, how he hated the stench of it.

“You know, I’m getting sick and tired of your old ass antagonizing me.” Inuyasha said, as he began to shrug off his blazer, throwing it to the side. By then, there were paparazzi surrounding the group. He could see the headlines already ‘Inuyasha Takahashi: Rowdy? Or Justified?’. In his book, a good ass beating was required every once in a while, to remind people to shut the fuck up; and this was one of those times in which someone was in need of a good ass beating.

And bad.

He could hear Kagome and Miroku pleading Inuyasha to turn around let Naraku be a drunk, bitter old man. However, Inuyasha discovered that a ring wasn’t necessary to fight Naraku, much less if both parties were eager to beat the other up. And he was more than eager. “Tell you what, bud.” Inuyasha said, rolling up the sleeves to his shirt, and undoing his bow tie. He threw it to one side as well. “How about we settle whatever score you have against me right here, right now?” He challenged, smirking as he crossed his arms. He noticed a smirk break across Naraku’s thin, discolored lips. Inuyasha glanced around him, _at least if I go to jail the world will see it’s not my fault all the time._ “Come on then,” Inuyasha said, motioning with his fingers for Naraku to make a move, if he dared. “Show me who’s boss then.”

“Gladly.” Naraku said simply, as he shrugged off his own blazer and rolled up his sleeves. He handed his blazer over to a woman with red eyes, and moved closer to Inuyasha. “Are you going to play nice? Be a good doggy?” He asked, watching Inuyasha become increasingly more irritated by him. “I’m gonna take that belt of yours back. And after that- I'll take that woman of yours too. What was her name? Kikyo?”

“K-kikyo..” Inuyasha whispered, and growled as he aimed a kick to Naraku’s liver, forcing Naraku to his knees. Once Naraku was on his knees he aimed another kick toward his head, and then pushed him to the ground, slamming his fist against Naraku’s face. He was so blinded by rage he didn’t even bother using proper form. This was a savage form of fight, that was completely against the cool and calculating fighter many across the globe were accustomed to seeing on their TVs late on Saturday nights. He felt Naraku’s hands wrap around his throat, forcing Inuyasha’s arms to stiffen slightly.

“Now the whole world knows how much a savage you are!” Naraku rasped, spitting blood onto the tile floor under them as he put Inuyasha into a choke hold, he could feel Inuyasha’s claws digging into his skin, drawing blood. The people around them screamed and chattered, he could hear horrified gasps from the crowd that gathered. He glanced over to Kagome, who clutched the necklace on her neck, her jaw clenched. Sesshomaru calmly glared at Naraku as Miroku had his head in his hands, shaking his head. “You’re not meant for this industry.” Naraku said, tightening his grip. He felt Inuyasha grab onto his arm and pull upward, elbowing Naraku on his side. He watched as Inuyasha scrambled out of his grasp and got to his feet.

Inuyasha watched as Naraku doubled over, holding his side, and he kicked him again. And then again. And then again. He kept going until he pulled off of Naraku’s body, his arms wrapped between the arms of two police officers, he felt the cold feeling of metal handcuffs against his wrists. A familiar feeling, almost comforting. He glanced over, and noticed the horrified and confused expression on Kagome’s face, as she watched him be pulled away. She saw her push Sesshomaru, attempting to spur him into action, but Sesshomaru was unwilling. Typical of his elder brother. He moved his gaze over to Miroku, who merely watched as Inuyasha was pulled away, letting the paparazzi run over to his friend. “Ah, he’s finally given up.” Inuyasha muttered, and then looked over his shoulder to one of the police officers. “Careful with the hair this time, alright?” He said. The police officer gave him a bewildered look.

“What?”

“I said careful with the hair this time. Last guys didn’t make sure my hair was in the car all the way and it was caught between the door.” Inuyasha explained plainly, as the shouldered through the crowd of paparazzi.

‘Inuyasha! This is the second time in 8 weeks you’re being arrested!’

‘Inuyasha! Have you considered therapy?’

“Inuyasha! Are you cheating on Kagome with Kikyo?’

“I would never cheat on a woman!” Inuyasha exclaimed, attempting to get in the paparazzo's face. He was pulled back by the police officers, but dug his heels into the ground. “How fucking DARE, you even ask such a stupid question? Fucking piece of shit!” He started wriggling against the grasps of the police officers, shouting expletives at the reporter, who quietly backed away from Inuyasha.

“This is bad.” Miroku muttered, as he grabbed Kagome by the hand. “This is bad. This is very very bad. He’s shouting and fighting against them. He never does that he’s gonna blow. His career is over. I'll never recover from this-”

“You’ll never recover from this?” Sesshomaru scoffed, glaring at Miroku. “What about me?” He added, pointing a finger into Miroku’s chest. “I manage all of his money. I make my money off of his money!”

Kagome ripped her hand out of Miroku’s hand. “Enough!” She screamed, and pointed to the crowd of people that moved toward the entrance of the building, watching as Inuyasha was stuffed into the back of a police car, his face, arms and chest covered in blood. “I’m more worried about the fact that Inuyasha is the one being arrested while Naraku managed to sneak off! I could give a rat’s ass about who's losing money right now!” She glanced around herself, embarrassed that they had made such a spectacle of themselves in front of a room of executives, celebrities, and strangers. She felt blood rush to her cheeks, and heat overtake her face as she glared at both of the men. “Is he nothing but a money maker to either of you?”

“Kagome, you’re one to talk.” Miroku said calmly and lowly, as he grabbed her by the arm. “You’re dating him for money. That’s the basis of your relationship. If he’s a moneymaker to anyone right now...it’s you.” He spat at her, glaring at her.

“Miroku has a point, Ms. Higurashi.” Sesshomaru interjected from his spot, as he stared at the angered Kagome. He himself was slightly worried for the fate of his brother, he was worried that this would be the final straw for the justice system. There was only so much lawyers and money could do for one such as himself. “Miroku, I think it best for you and Kagome to go home. I will bail him out on this one.” Sesshomaru said, Miroku nodded in response and took a belligerent Kagome out of the building. Finding himself in the lobby of the building, Sesshomaru took a seat on a nearby sofa, and rubbed his temple, sighing. He watched as the crowd of board members and celebrities slowly dispersed outside, there was a constant stream of cars and the mood in the area quickly became lighthearted, as conversation outside buzzed. He could faintly make out what they were saying, but he didn’t care much to go beyond that. His main concern right now, was his brother. In retrospect, much of why his brother behaved the way he did was because of Sesshomaru’s lack of guidance. His negligence and mistreatment of his own brother was now coming to bite him in the ass. He was too slow in gaining control over his brother, and now he was a wild, dangerous man. His job was to clean up his messes now, instead of stopping them before they happened. He sighed, and shook his head. _No, this is no way your fault_ , Sesshomaru thought. This whole situation was baffling to him. Inuyasha had been in his fair share of public brawls, sure. But at a charity event? Never. He felt his phone ring in his pocket, and he shoved his hand in his pocket to fish it out. He picked up the phone, “This call will be recorded and monitored,” the machine said, “You have a collect call from...” the audio stopped abruptly as Inuyasha said his name, “at Manhattan Detention Complex press 2 to accept the call.” Sesshomaru rolled his eyes as he pressed 2. “Hello?” He grumbled, waiting for his brother to answer.

“Hey...I tried calling Miroku but he didn’t answer. I was able to finesse another call.” Inuyasha said quickly, Sesshomaru could sense the urgency in his voice. “Uh, how is Kagome? Did they crowd her?”

“No, they were too busy trying to follow the star that was taken in handcuffs. Inuyasha.” Sesshomaru spat back, and he heard his brother sigh. “What the hell got into you Inuyasha? You could do serious jail time for this one!”

“I know!” Inuyasha yelled back at Sesshomaru. “You think I don’t know that? I know that! Can you just come bail me out? I’m at Manhanttan.” There was a pause, “I can’t do time for this, Sesshomaru, it wasn’t even my damned fault!”

“You attacked first!”

“He provoked me!” Inuyasha growled over the phone, and Sesshomaru heard struggling and other voices. “Look can you please just post bail? I’ll pay you back.” Inuyasha asked quickly. Sesshomaru furrowed his eyebrows as he rubbed his temple. “I don’t care what time you come by; you can leave me here till tomorrow night if you want.” The line was silent for a while. “You can’t leave the only family you have to rot in jail, Sesshomaru. I have that other charge from a few weeks on me already come on man!”

Sesshomaru sighed, “alright.” He said, and rolled his eyes, “I will go tomorrow night.” He heard Inuyasha breathe a sigh of relieve and then a quick thank you, before the line went dead. He stared at his phone for a second, before he made a call to Miroku. “I’m leaving him in there for the night.” Sesshomaru said to Miroku, once he answered his call.

“Over night?” Miroku questioned, as he held his phone between his ear and shoulder. He motioned for Kagome to take a seat on his couch, and pressed a finger to his lips, motioning for her to stay quiet and pointed at the phone. “Why are you letting him stay overnight?” He inquired, placing his keys on the entrance table. “Are you trying to teach him a lesson or something?” Miroku asked, as he walked toward the couch and put a hand on Kagome’s shoulder, as she let one of her hands glide over the diamonds on her neck, the gentle feeling of the jewels giving her comfort.

“Yes.” Sesshomaru responded dryly as he got up from his seat and walked out of the building. He was met with a breeze, as he breathed in the damp air, and found shelter under the overhang of the building, watching as water droplets created ripples at a small puddle near the sidewalk. “He needs one, he’s out of control.”

“If I were you, I’d let him do time for once.” Miroku responded plainly, shrugging his shoulders as he felt Kagome swat his hand away from her shoulder. “Lord knows that one night in jail isn’t enough for the crimes he’s committed in his life.” Miroku muttered, making his way to the kitchen. He turned on the kettle to prepare some tea for himself and Kagome.

“Yes, I suppose you’re right. However, there’s the added dilemma of his fight with Naraku, the actual one, coming up soon. What do you propose we do about that?” This prompted a sigh from Miroku. “We simply cannot allow this to slide without any type of alteration to the fight...perhaps it can be postponed?”

“No.” Miroku grumbled, biting the tip of his finger. “I don’t want to postpone it. I’m fairly certain that this little squabble they had has raised interest in the fight. However, this very well may be the most dangerous fight of his career.” Miroku had a flashback to the fight between him and Koga. “This is a different kind of dangerous though.”

“I don’t believe I follow.” Sesshomaru responded, as he leaned against the wall of the building, his free hand loosening his neck tie. “What do you mean by different type of dangerous.”

“Inuyasha may very well attempt to kill Naraku for this.” Miroku said quietly, as the kettle beeped, letting him know the water had been brought to a boil. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he kept hitting him even after time is called...and if he does, lord help him.”

“I sincerely doubt it.” Sesshomaru said, as he stepped out from under the overhanging, and into the side of the street, hauling himself a cab. “I do see your concern, however.” There was a moment of silence. “Anyways, I’ve handled Inuyasha. Make sure to keep Kagome calm. Don’t let her talk to the media. You’re already dealing with a train wreck; we don’t need another one. Good luck trying to fix this issue, let me know if you need me.”

“Will do.” With that, Miroku ended the call between him and Sesshomaru. He reached over to a cabinet and took out two mugs, and filled them up half way with water. He seeped some green tea bags in both, before walking over to his living room, where Kagome was texting on her phone. “I made you some tea, to help you calm down.” Miroku said, as he placed her mug on the coffee table in front of her. “I’m sorry you had to see that.”

“No, it’s alright.” Kagome said distractedly. “I’m more worried about Inuyasha..hope he’s alright.” She said softly, taking the mug of tea in her hands. She heard Miroku chuckle, and looked up from the tea. “What?”

“This isn’t Inuyasha’s first time being sent to jail, Kagome.” Miroku said, as he took a sip from the tea. “He will be okay.”

“Why did he feel the need to provoke him though?” Kagome questioned aloud, looking out of the floor to ceiling windows in Miroku’s apartment. “What was the reason? What would he have gained?”

“Mm,” Miroku uttered, pulling away from the cup of tea, “Inuyasha’s public image was beginning to look better thanks to you, and the things he’s said about you. He provoked him to get a negative response and have Inuyasha do something to ruin his public image. It’s usually a tactic used by paparazzi...but sometimes famous people do it to each other.”

“Oh,” Kagome said, smiling faintly, “I see...” her voice dragged on as she took a small sip of the tea. “I suppose that Kikyo is a good way to get under Inuyasha’s skin?”

Miroku stiffened in his spot and cleared his throat. So, she heard? “Why does that make you upset, Kagome?” Miroku questioned, raising an eyebrow. Kagome’s face flushed as she frantically waved her hand.

“Oh don’t take it like that!” Kagome said, laughing nervously. “Honest! I have no feelings for Inuyasha!” Kagome added, smiling. “I just...never saw him as the type to get so worked up over a girl-”

“Kikyo is not just any girl to him.” Miroku interrupted, his tone serious. “Kikyo is special. Very. Special. I don’t even use her to get under his skin.” Miroku said, looking at Kagome. She nodded.

“Oh...” Kagome said, hanging her head slightly, “I see.” _Is that who he was thinking of that night?_

“Kagome?” Miroku asked. The last time he saw Kagome, was the night of the full moon, when he stormed off from the group. Since then, he had noticed some...odd harmony among Kagome and Inuyasha. The fighting was less frequent, they seemed to be able to have civil conversations. It was odd, but it was an oddity that he embraced and appreciated, he had enough on his plate to deal with as is and the last he wanted was bickering, fake couple to deal with. “You and Inuyasha seem different.”

“Different?”

“Yes,” Miroku nodded, taking a sip of the tea. “Different. There’s a calmness among you two...what happened after I left the last time, we all saw each other?”

“Nothing.” Kagome replied quickly. “We just talked for a bit and then I left.” Kagome replied shrugging her shoulders. Her stomach did a somersault as she remembered the feel of his lips and the warmth of his mouth on hers. “Calmness? We still argue a lot.”

“Yes I know that.” Miroku said rolling his eyes. “But in the two weeks since that night, I haven’t received any complaints from either of you. Something happened.” Miroku suggested, cocking his head to one side as he spoke.

“Nothing happened Miroku.” Kagome answered nervously. “Nothing at all.”

“Did you guys have sex again?”

“We never had sex, Miroku!” Kagome exclaimed, glaring at Miroku. “We’re never going to either, get your head out of the gutter.” She gently shoved Miroku by the shoulder.

“Kagome,” Miroku said, clearing his throat, “in all seriousness it’s important I know what happened. We need this plan to go as smoothly as possible. We absolutely cannot have any feelings lingering around going unaddressed. The second you guys become a real couple, is the second this plan fails. It leads to messy public breakups, more pap following you around...everything becomes more complicated.” Kagome averted her gaze, “I know it’s awkward.”

“I didn’t know this was that serious.” Kagome said quietly, as she looked down at her tea.

“Of course it is,” Miroku said, staring at Kagome. “That’s why we’re paying you so much money.” Miroku could see Kagome become visibly uncomfortable. “Kagome...”

“He kissed me.” Kagome said softly, still staring at the cup of tea. “He kissed me and-and-and I thought of kissing him back, but I didn’t. I told him that him kissing me was a mistake...that we shouldn’t do it.” Kagome confessed, and she could feel blood rush to her cheeks. “The thing is...I’m pretty sure he was thinking of Kikyo when he kissed me. I asked him before I left...if he meant it. He didn’t answer...”

“Kagome-”

“I think it was Kikyo. Who else would he kiss like that? Not me,” she laughed nervously, “he hates me.”

“Inuyasha doesn’t hate you.” Miroku said, “and thank you...for telling me. I’ll have a talk with him about it. His feelings tend to get the better of him during the full moon.” Miroku said, and Kagome nodded.

There was a feeling that filled her. Was it jealousy? Lust? Scorn? It was like a dark cloud that loomed over her heart, grey and heavy with rain. Every time she considered the idea that Inuyasha wasn’t actually kissing her that night...she gets a feeling of mild annoyance. Every time she heard Kikyo’s name she felt a low simmer of anger collect in her belly and work its way to her heart. It wrapped around it like thorns, and tightened around her heart every time she heard an utterance of that name.

 _Ah,_ Kagome thought as she smiled at Miroku, _I feel inadequate._

_Yes. That’s what it is...she makes me feel inadequate. I feel threatened by her. But why? She’s not around. We aren’t even actually dating._

_Why does she hurt me, so?_


	11. "Maturity"

There was a moment, in the cell...where Inuyasha felt as though he was not going to be rescued this time. The seconds quickly turned into minutes...which turned into hours. His claw drew circles around the cold, damp brick wall of his cell, as his cellmate muttered to himself. He trusted that Sesshomaru was on his way, perhaps he just got caught up with Rin. There was no way Sesshomaru would let his baby brother rot in a cell. 

_Right?_

It’s not like Inuyasha intended to fight Naraku in the middle of the charity dinner. He couldn’t possibly be made out to be the bad guy in this situation. He sighed as he ran his fingers through his hair, _great,_ he thought, _everyone’s mad at you. Your publicist is gonna leave, your fake girlfriend is gonna leave…all over some bullshit fight you didn’t even start._ Inuyasha shook his head, and let it rest against the wall. To make matters worse, he was stuck in a cell with some nutcase that talked to himself. He estimated that he had been in the cell for approximately five or six hours, as the guards had switched. He got up, and approached the bars that kept him in the cell. He wrapped his hands around them, and pressed his face to them and turned his face slightly to look down the hall. He could see the silhouette ofone of the guards down the hall. “Yo!” Inuyasha yelled, “Hey! You! Yeah you dumb ass!” Inuyasha yelled at the guard. He could faintly see the guard shake his head, before making his way slowly to Inuyasha’s cell.

“Ooo” The man in the cell with Inuyasha vocalized, causing Inuyasha to turn his head in his direction. “you got mike to pay attention to you!” Inuyasha snorted at him. _Mike? How often is this guy in here?!_

“Huh? You know his name?” Inuyasha asked incredulously, “how often are you here dude?”

“Oh just every week,” the man said chuckling. “Your ears are rather pretty… I want them.” The man licked his lips, causing into to furrow his eyebrows and press his body up against the bars of the cell. “oh how rude of me, I didn’t even introduce myself. The name is Jankotsu.”

“Uh-huh…” Inuyasha replied, wary of the strange man, who oddly resembled his sparring partner. He turned back toward the bars, and yelled out for the guard once again.

“What do you want?” The guard snapped at Inuyasha once he reached his cell, causing Inuyasha to growl lowly at him. At this point, he would have much preferred to be in the same cell as that weird short guy from a few weeks ago. “Well?”

“Look, I just want to know if my lawyer has come by with bail yet? My arraignment was like three hours ago.” Inuyasha said quickly, glancing behind him. “He’s fucking weird, I don’t think I can stay in here with that nutcase any longer.”

“Hey!” Jankotsu said, pouting at Inuyasha, “that hurt my feelings.”

The officer glanced up from his nails at Inuyasha and scoffed at him. “Oh, another trust fund baby who broke the law and can’t handle it? What a surprise.” Inuyasha tightened his grip on the bars as he stared at the guard.

_Trust fund baby? Really?_

_“_ Look, you should get a new lawyer.” The officer said, turning his back on Inuyasha. “Your current one hasn’t come quick enough.”

“Why I oughta…” Inuyasha grumbled, reaching his arm through the gap between two bars, his claws barely brushing against the officer’s back. At the same time, another guard walked up toward Inuyasha.

“Inuyasha Takahashi? Your bail has been posted, you’re free to go.” Inuyasha smirked at the guard that has turned his back to Inuyasha, whose face paled with realization. Inuyasha smirked at him as he turned, and moved his hair to the side, so the officer taking him away could handcuff him easily. He looked back toward Janktosu who twirled a strand of his ebony hair between his fingers before wiggling his fingers at Inuyasha.

“Bye _Inuyasha,_ I hope I see you again soon!” He said, giggling as Inuyasha was led away. Inuyasha felt chills run down his spine, but he ignored it as he was led down the hall, for what seemed to be the billionth time in his life. Inuyasha rubbed his wrists as his phone, keys and wallet were handed back to him by the officer behind the plexiglass at the entrance. Out of the corner of his eye he saw his brother leaning against the edge of the wall, his legs and arms crossed. He looked exhausted, his appearance was telling of a particularly exhausting night. He was still in his suit that he wore to the charity event, but his sleeves were rolled up and his tie hung loosely, and undone. His usual clear complexion had dark circles under his eyes from lack of rest. _Sheesh,_ Inuyasha thought as he made his way over to his brother, _I really did a number on him this time didn’t I?_

 _“_ Hey,” Inuyasha said awkwardly, as he approached his older brother. “Thanks..for today.”

“Mhm.” Sesshomaru responded dryly, Inuyasha flinched slightly at the iciness that radiated off of his brother; more so than usual.

“How much do I-“

“Don’t.” Sesshomaru held up a had to his brother, the sound of his voice was irritating to Sesshomaru at the moment. “I don’t have the time, energy, or patience to deal with whatever the _fuck_ you were going to say just now.” Sesshomaru growled at Inuyasha, as Inuyasha glared at him.He sighed, running a hand through his long, pin straight hair. “Come on, I’m taking you home and then I’m going home to my wife.”

“Did you like…not sleep last night?” Inuyasha asked as he walked out of the correctional facility, and toward Sesshomaru’s range rover. Sesshomaru rolled his eyes as he unlocked his car.

“No, I had to find a way to let my bank agree to let me do a check for 20,000 dollars Inuyasha. Would you be able to sleep?” Sesshomaru shot back and Inuyasha got ready to reply when Sesshomaru rolled his eyes. “Don’t…don’t answer that.”

Inuyasha chuckled to himself before he got in the car with Sesshomaru, and took his phone out of his pocket and turned it on, as it had been turned off for the time he was in the jail cell. It was once again very early morning when Inuyasha found himself on the way home, this time with his older brother. His phone dinged as he received a message from Kagome, sent to him a little over three hours ago.

 **Hey,** the message started, **I just thought that I would check in on you…make sure you’re okay. You didn’t seem too beat up when they took you away…so that’s good, I guess. I was really worried about you for a second. I was actually kind of scared, everything escalated so quickly, and there were so many people. Anyways, I’m sure Sesshomaru will take you out of wherever you are pretty quickly, haha. See you tomorrow…maybe?**

“That’s weird.” Inuyasha grumbled to himself as he shrugged off the message that Kagome sent him, and rested his head against the window as Sesshomaru drove him to his apartment building.

“Inuyasha…I hope you realize that this may cost you partnerships…the relationship with the charity…and a lot more right?” Sesshomaru says, as they were caught in the city traffic. Inuyasha’s ears flickered at the sound of Sesshomaru’s voice. He furrowed his eyebrows at his brother. “You might lose money,” Sesshomaru said slowly, keeping his eyes on the road, “A lot…of it.” He warned, glancing over at Inuyasha.

Inuyasha was quiet for a second, before he spoke, “ are you fucking kidding me?! It’s not even my fucking _fault!_ ” Inuyasha exclaimed, rubbing his temple, Sesshomaru sighed from beside him. “Whats the fucking point of faking being in love with this bitch if it’s not going to do anything to my fucking image?” He inquired, rolling his eyes.

“Calm down.” Sesshomaru snapped at Inuyasha, “Miroku has been on the phone with all your endorsements all night. Your big deals are still secured because we contacted them first. Your Nike, Apple, and Gatorade deals are still a go. But the charity is leaning toward cutting ties, and so is the ASPCA of New York.” He announced, prompting a groan out of his younger brother. “Kagome is important, it shows some type of stability in your life. Before her, you had no stability in your life.” Inuyasha rolled his eyes. Who the fuck said he needed stability in his life _now_?

You know when he really needed stability? When he was fifteen and skipping school to go sell drugs with his friends because Sesshomaru was too “busy” to properly feed Inuyasha or care for him.

But that was a conversation for another day.

“Right,” Inuyasha said in a mocking tone. “I need _stability_ in my life. Pfft.” He put air quotations around the word stability. “You wanna know something? I’m so fucking tired of being treated like a kid by you and Miroku.”

“Because you fucking are one.” Sesshomaru retorted, as he parked in front of Inuyasha’s apartment building. “Quit giving us reasons to treat you like a kid, and we will.”

“i’m twenty-three fucking years old, Sesshomaru.” Inuyasha growled lowly as he attempted to leave the car, Sesshomaru pulled him back in by the arm and locked the doors.

“Age does not equal maturity, Inuyasha.” Sesshomaru warned. “You are twenty-three, but you attitude is that of a spoiled fourteen year old, and this is just the start of a very, very long life, you know that.”

For a moment, Sesshomaru’s words settled into Inuyasha’s simple minded brain. It was indeed going to be a very, very long life. He looked down at his feet for a second, and then raised his golden eyes to look at his brother’s cold, tired eyes. “Your career can either be long like your life is going to be, or simply a blip in it. Your actions are what tell me how serious you are about making money this way, little brother.”

Inuyasha scoffed as he ripped his arm out of Sesshomaru’s grasp. “I don’t need to be lectured by someone not even double my age about life, If I wanted to be lectured about life I’d give old Kaede a call.” He spat at his brother as he left. With that, he slammed Sesshomaru’s door shut, and made his way to the glass doors of his apartment building. He entered a code on the side of the building and unlocked the doors, and let himself in. He glanced over his shoulder, and saw that Sesshomaru had already started driving away.

Inuyasha found himself growing weary of people trying to control all aspects of his life. What he does, what he wears, what he says, shit even who he dates. Every move in his life was calculated. Everything decision he “took” was never really his. He sighed as he got into the elevator, and he slumped against the wall on the way up to his apartment. He felt himself dose off as the exhaustion of the nights events hit him like a pile of bricks. He began to feel the pain on the sides of his head and his ribs. He gently clutched them as he made his way toward his bed, kicking off his shoes as he threw himself into it. He immediately burrowed his head into the warmth and comfort of his duvet, as his body and mind gave into sleep.

What awoke him, was the gentle vibration of his phone in his pocket. Inuyasha groaned as he flipped his body over, and answered the phone call. “Hello?’ He greeted, rubbing the grogginess out of his eyes.

“Inuyasha do you have any idea what time it is?!” Myouga yelled angrily over the phone, causing Inuyasha to sit up in his bed. _Shit,_ he thought, _I completely forgot about my training today. “_ If you aren’t in this fucking gym in 10 minutes you can consider yourself in the market for a new trainer do you understand?” Myouga said angrily, as he quickly walked to the back of the gym where his office was located. “I can only put up with so much of your fucking bullshit Inuyasha. It’s time for you to start being fucking responsible.”

There it was again, this talk of Inuyasha being responsible, taking accountability for his actions. He _was_ responsible! He went grocery shopping every week, paid his mortgage on time, made sure his credit cards were up to date, made sure all of his financials were taken care of. “I’m your only fucking client, old man.” Inuyasha grumbled back. “I’ll get there when I fucking get there! Understood?”

“Inuyasha. You have been late to every. Single. Training. Session. In the past 3 years! You’ve been late since we used to workout in the backyard of my house in Osaka. I did _not_ leave behind my comfortable, pensioned life in Japan for you to just shit all over everything. Get your ass here. NOW!” Myouga hung up the phone, leaving Inuyasha slightly stunned.

“Sheesh, someone’s in a bad mood.” Inuyasha grumbled under his breath as he made his way toward the bathroom. He examined his face in the mirror, before picking up his toothbrush and brushing his teeth. He glances in the direction of his shower, and shrugs his shoulders, figuring there was no need to shower if he would just sweat. His sides still felt a little sore, but he ignored it and walked over to his closet and changed out of the suit he fell asleep in and into comfortable workout clothes. He pulled his long silver hair into a bun as he shuffled over to the kitchen, and making himself a protein shake. For a moment, he turned toward the living room and contemplated turning on the TV for background noise, but ultimately decided against it. If there was anything he had had enough of lately, it was the media’s portrayal of himself. There wasn’t a day that went by where he wasn’t discussed in some way on television and he was growing sick of it. Shaking his protein shake, he picked up his car keys from the counter, and entered the elevator. He pressed the button which would take down to the basement where his car was parked. He started to think about what he would need to work on this training session. He felt as though his grappling and wrestling was up to his standards. Perhaps he could work on actual combat? _Fuck,_ Inuyasha thought, _I usually have a plan._

He chuckled to himself at the thought. It was odd how little control he actually had over himself.Yet here he was worrying about a workout because he didn’t have anything planned; as if he would stick to that plan anyways. The familiar sound of the elevator doors opening knocked him out of his trance, and he huffed as he left the elevator, spotting his red car just a little ways up the incline. He jogged over and got in, mentally preparing himself for whatever attention will be waiting for him outside his apartment building.

He would be the first to admit that the actions he took at the charity event may not have been the best ones to take, given his reputation, but they were necessary.

A necessary evil, dare he say.

His phone rang from beside him, and Miroku’s name flashed across the screen of his car’s radio. Sighing, he answered the phone. “Hi.” He answered dryly, as he waited for the garage door to open for him to exit.

“Inuyasha…hi.” Miroku greeted lowly, causing Inuyasha to furrow his eyebrows and glance down briefly at the screen. _What the fuck is up with this dude today?_ “Do you happen to have a minute? Are you free?”

“Uhm, for what? To meet in person? I mean I’m on my way to Myouga’s gym right now.” Inuyasha answered slowly, wary of his friend. It wasn’t like Miroku to take on such a serious tone when addressing Inuyasha, despite being his manager and publicist, he was his friend before it all. But today, Inuyasha could tell that Miroku was addressing Inuyasha as his publicist.

“Oh really? Isn’t it kind of late?” Miroku asked, slightly taken aback as it was well past the timeframe Inuyasha usually works out in, it was nearly 3 pm.

“Yeah…Sesshomaru didn’t take me out until like 4 am, and then he started lecturing me about being responsible and all this other shit and I didn’t wanna deal with it so I went to bed. Myouga woke me up.” Inuyasha responded, rather irritated.

Miroku could sense that Inuyasha wasn’t in the mood to be lectured, or confronted but he had grown rather accustomed to his attitude, and knew that it was _never_ a good time to confront and lecture Inuyasha; but it had to be done. “Oh, well that’s funny because that’s actually why I’m calling.” Miroku said matter-a-factly, as he leaned back in his office chair, turning to face the Hudson River. He heard Inuyasha chuckle darkly on the other end. “It’s about Kagome.”

“Oh great.” Inuyasha muttered, rolling his eyes. “What is it this time? Am I not _affectionate_ enough. Is she mad that I’m mean to her?” Inuyasha questioned, faking a pout and laughing darkly afterwords. “Give me a damn break dude, I could win the damn olympics and you guys would all still find some shit to yell at me about. You know —I said this to Sesshomaru—, I’m getting really _really_ tired of not living my life the way I fucking want to I just wish you would all—“

“Inuyasha did you _kiss_ Kagome Higurashi a few days ago?”

“Uh, what?” Inuyasha responded, stunned that Miroku would know. How did he know? “No, Miroku. I didn’t kiss Kagome.”

“Really? Because Ms. Higurashi said differently..” Miroku spat back, arching an eyebrow. “Now I’ll ask you again… did you kiss Kagome?”

“So what if I did? What’s the issue?” Inuyasha retorted, as he took a hand off his steering well to rub his temples. “It was one kiss. That’s it. It’s not going to happen again, Miroku.” Inuyasha added, exasperated. He heard Miroku grunt on the other end, and he raised an eyebrow. “What?”

“You cannot catch feelings Inuyasha. I’m serious.” Miroku said, as he twirled a pencil between his fingers. “Catching feelings complicates everything, it makes everything one hundred times more difficult. This is easier if no strings are attached, understood? Kagome was a friend of mine before she took part in all of this, and I would honestly enjoy it if we remained friends afterwords.”

“You’re just saying that because you like her tall friend with the fat ass.” Inuyasha said frankly, shrugging his shoulders. “You’ve been trying to smash since they first opened that shop.”

“That does play a part yes, which by the way reminds me. Sango and I are officially ‘talking’ whatever that means. But that means we can now go on dates, so I think it would be nice if the four of us went out to eat tonight? Have dinner? A double date.” Miroku suggested slyly. Although Inuyasha couldn’t see him, he could all but imagine the smirk that was on that lecher’s face.

“I can stop by the shop after my workout before they close and ask them.” Inuyasha said, as he pulled into a parking spot right in front of Myouga's gym. “I have to go now though, I’m at the gym. Catch you later bro.” Inuyasha said, as he gathered his things from the car.

“Okay but pleaserememberwhatItoldyouaboutnot-“ Miroku tried to fit in everything he had to say, but Inuyasha, in true Takahashi spirit hung up before the call was really over. Sighing, Miroku turned around in his chair and threw the pencil onto his desk. “Oh, Inuyasha…” Miroku sighed, putting his head in his hands. “You dog.”

Before Inuyasha could even get into the gym, he picked up on a strange, yet familiar scent, and it puzzled him. “That’s odd…” his voice trailed off, as he whispered to himself, and opened the door. He gave a fist bump to another fighter that was training, and spotted Bankotsu in the mock octagon cage. “Hey!” Inuyasha called, making his way to the cage, “where’s Myouga? And what’s that weird scent?” He asked, causing Bankotsu to shrug his shoulders.

“No idea.” He responded, and pointed to the back of the gym. “He’s in the office with someone, though.” Nodding his head, Inuyasha made his way to the back of the gym, weaving his way through the punching bags, the closer he got to the back of the gym, the stronger the scent got.

And it was driving him mad.

“Myouga..” Inuyasha said, as he rapped his knuckles against the wooden door, his ears flickered at the sound of feminine giggles. _A woman?_ “Uh…are you busy or something?” Inuyasha asked, rather awkwardly. _I can think of so many other places I would rather have female company,_ Inuyasha thought as he waited for a response from Myouga on the other side of the door, _like…my bedroom, the backseat of my car…an airplane bathroom…a hotel room…the shower. You know where I wouldn’t have sex? The gym! That’s just gross. Yuck._

“You can come Inuyasha! It’s okay!” Myouga called, and Inuyasha jumped away from the door slightly.

“Are you sure?” Inuyasha said, narrowing his golden eyes at the door.

“Yes!” Myouga said, slightly annoyed, “Open the door!”

Shrugging his shoulders, Inuyasha opened the door. “Hey, Miroku called me and I got stuck in traffic, and honestly I was thinking and I feel like I need to work more on my—“

“Hello Inuyasha.” The familiar feminine voice said, causing Inuyasha to look up from the floor. His eyes widened and he felt his breath hitch in his throat, he felt as if his throat was beginning to close. “You look well.” The woman spoke again. Her voice musical, although it had grown slightly deeper with age.

“Mother?” Inuyasha breathed, once the shock of having her standing before him wore off slightly. “What-what are you doing here? How did you get here? Why are you here?” He stepped forward, taking one of his mother’s delicate hands in his own, and pulling her gently toward him, giving her a hug. “I still don’t understand.”

“It’s alright dear.” Izayoi said as she ran her hand through her son’s hair, resting the back of her hand on his cheek. “I missed you my darling.” She said, smiling at him.

Myouga cleared his throat, grabbing the attention of both Inuyasha and his mother. “Well…Inuyasha your mother has an announcement to make.” Myouga said shyly, crossing his arms as he looked over to Izayoi who lowered her head.

“Inuyasha,” She said, taking his hands in her own, “honey…I would like to apologize…”

“Apologize?” Inuyasha inquired, looking puzzled at his mother. “For?”

“I was absent for most of your life…as a child I never paid you much mind…as a teenager, I abandoned you, your brother and your father. I made every bad decision possible when it came to being mother, if you can even consider me a mother at all.” Izayoi said, smiling weakly at her son. Her sweet, sweet, little boy…who was now a man. In seeing him, standing before her, his golden eyes glimmering with concern, she felt age hit her like a ton of bricks. She realized exactly how much of her son’s life she missed. She searched Inuyasha’s eyes for a minute, before she continued.

“I know I am not perfect, as a person…as a mother. But I want you to know that I love you, and that I am here for you…now. I have always loved you, despite my actions constantly showing you that I didn’t. For the years that was separated from you, there wasn’t a moment that passed by that I didn’t think about you…I wish I had remained in touch with you during that time more.” She could see the wheels turning in Inuyasha’s head as she spoke, his eyes squinting ever so slightly. Nonetheless, she continued. “I followed your career closely, you blew up rather quickly, my son. But I expected nothing less of you. I’m proud of you, the man you are becoming, the legacy you’ve begun to create for yourself. And, I apologize. I hope you will accept it.” Izayoi said, bowing her head slightly at her son.

 _Ah,_ Inuyasha thought to himself, shaking his head. He exhaled deeply, and sighed as he took a seat. His mother, in true Izayoi fashion, appeared in his life when things were looking up for him, trying to apologize and claiming to be a ‘changed woman’. _This,_ he thought, as he glanced up at his mother, and then looked over to Myouga, _is a test of maturity if I’ve ever seen one._ “Answer me this, mother.” Inuyasha started, cracking his knuckles. “Why did you bail on me every time the going got rough? Now you think you can come back into my life when I’m making millions? Living the dream.” Inuyasha said, his words laced with anger, and disbelief. He gave his mother a dark smile, chuckling, as he threw his head back, staring at the ceiling. “Go the fuck back to Japan mother. I don’t want you here. I don’t _need_ you here.”

He was lying.

What man wouldn’t need his mother?

“You’ve done enough damage to my life. You’ve manipulated me, abused me, neglected me. Left me at the hands of Sesshomaru and my dad, of all people. And where the fuck were you huh? Korea? Living your best fucking life and then showing up for a few days once every few years? Fuck right off.” Inuyasha said, chuckling, as he got up, opening the door. He locked eyes with his mother, seeing the hurt in her face; but he ws immune to her attempts of manipulation now. “You want a seat at the table? Earn it.” Inuyasha said, motioning for her to leave.

“But how!” Izayoi said, grabbing Inuyasha by the wrist. Inuyasha ripped his wrist out of his mother’s grasp. “I’ve tried before…”

“I believe that’s for you to figure out, Izayoi,” Myouga said, as he took a seat at his desk.

“Son..” Izayoi pleaded, her voice breaking. Inuyasha’s gaze faltered for a moment, as he reverted back to a little five year old boy…begging his mother for attention. “Find it in your heart to forgive me… please.”

“I’ll find it in my heart…” Inuyasha started, shaking out of his thoughts, he adverted his gaze to the floor, “I’ll find it in my heart to forgive you when you find it in your heart to be a mother.”

“ _And we both know that will never happen.”_


	12. "The Plan"

For the rest of the night, Inuyasha found himself consumed in what had transpired in Myoga's office earlier in the day. He was mind boggled by the appearance of his mother, despite not having contact with the woman for many years before. He stumbled through his day quietly, eyebrows furrowed and deep in thought. Part of him wanted to believe that his mother had approached him, not just for money, but for a genuine connection with her son. However, another part of the half-demon told him that she just wanted a cut, like many others around him. His ears twitched at the sound of laughter, and clinking glass and he was reminded that he was currently on a “double date” with Miroku and Sango. And poor Sango seemed to be at her wits end with the lecherous monk. He watched as Miroku and Sang bickered next to each other, constantly finding more ways to annoy each other while simultaneously insulting each other. Sighing, he glanced over to Kagome, who was more preoccupied staring over the glass ledge at the city skyline of the rooftop restaurant and lounge, than entertaining Sango and Miroku’s bickering. “Is it just me,” he said softly, covering his mouth so Sango and Miroku can’t see, “or are they definitely flirting?” Inuyasha asked, arching an eyebrow as he pulled away from Kagome. He noticed a small smirk creep onto her lips as she looked over her shoulder at Inuyasha, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. 

“They should get a room already.” Kagome responded, giggling as she turned to Miroku and Sango, crossing her arms. “Look are you guys just going to argue all night?’ She asked, looking across the table. Both Sango and Miroku turned toward Kagome, puzzled. “Look all I’m saying is that uh…Inuyasha and I have been very civil compared to you guys, and we aren’t even the real couple here.” She teased, causing Inuyasha to grin cockily next to her, tilting his head slightly. 

“We aren’t a couple!” Miroku and Sango retorted, glaring at Inuyasha and Kagome. Inuyasha sighed, and shook his head playfully. “Oh, don’t you dare start Inuyasha.” Miroku threatened, glaring at the half demon. 

“Start what? I’m innocent.” Inuyasha replied, pouting playfully and widening his golden eyes. His ears flickered at the sound of footsteps approaching the table, and his head turned in the direction, as he saw the waitress approach. “Food.” Inuyasha said plainly, as he took his phone off of the dinner table and put it in his pocket. Miroku followed suit. Kagome arched an eyebrow curiously at Inuyasha. However, she decided against asking him about it. It’s not like he had anything to hide from her. They weren’t even dating! 

_Stop. Thinking. Of. Him. Like. That_. Kagome thought to herself, smiling as her plate was put down in front of her. “It looks delicious, thank you.” She said kindly to the waitress, completely oblivious to the fact that Inuyasha gazing at her. Miroku cleared his throat, catching the attention of the other three people at the table. 

“Please allow me to bless this meal of ours.” Miroku said, closing his eyes as be held his fingers up to his temple. 

Sango snorted from beside him, “Miroku, please kindly shut the fuck up. You wouldn’t be holy even if you bathed in holy water every day.” Kagome and Inuyasha nodded in agreement. “See, I have people in my corner.” She added confidently, crossing her arms. 

“Everyone always seems to have someone in their corner except me.” Miroku remarked through gritted teeth, eh shook his head and sighed as he picked up a fork, and started stabbing at his ravioli. “Bon appetite, fuckers.” 

“Oh, whoa!” Inuyasha said, wincing in faux pain. 

“Hey!” Sango exclaimed, hitting Miroku on his shoulder. 

“That’s not very monk-ish of you, Miroku.” Kagome said, shaking her head. Miroku glared at the group around the table. 

“Oh, so _now_ I’m a monk?” He said irritably, and Inuyasha shrugged his shoulders, as he took a bite of the salmon he was eating. “You wanna know something,” Miroku said, sucking his teeth as he pointed his knife at the people around the table, “you all suck.” 

“We love you too, Miroku.” Sango said, taking a sip of her mojito. 

The rest of the dinner date went smoothly, as conversation progressed from making fun of Miroku, to the events of the past week, to ambitions. Inuyasha zoned in and out of the conversation, replaying the day's events in his head. He was struggling to come to terms with the fact that he may have just pushed his mother out of his life forever. It was odd how the heart knew it was wrong, no matter how much damage she had done to him. There was a part of him that wanted to give her one last chance to prove herself as his mother, but another part constantly reminded him of the abuse and neglect he received from her. His eyes softened at that thought. He just couldn’t get her face out of his head. “Inuyasha,” His ears flickered at the sound of his name and he looked up from his lap, raising his eyebrows. “Inuyasha—anything specific you have planned for the summer?” Kagome asked, nudging him with her shoulder. 

“Uh, no…maybe I’ll visit my villa in Vermont.” He said, absentmindedly. “Remember Miroku? We closed on the deal just before this whole thing started.” He said, clearing his throat as he took a sip of his drink. Miroku nodded, “I don’t know…the city is kind of getting on my nerves. All this attention…” He motioned toward a few people who sat at the bar on the other side of the lounge, pretending to sip on drinks. 

“Oh, maybe we can all go.” Miroku suggested, looking at Sango and Kagome, who looked worriedly at each other. Inuyasha grumbled at Miroku., who widened his eyes expectantly at him. 

“I don’t know…Kagome and I have a business to run, Miroku, we can’t just up and leave whenever we want to.” Sango said, biting her lip as she looked at Kagome. Miroku groaned as he slumped his shoulders. 

“Don’t you guys have that kid, Shippou? Doesn’t he like work when you guys aren’t working? Tell the kid to take over.” He said, shrugging his shoulders. Inuyasha shook his head. 

“Look if they can’t come, they can’t fucking come.” He spat at his friend, rolling his eyes, “It’s truly not a big deal, piss off it.” Miroku wagged his finger at Inuyasha. 

“I beg to differ.” He said, wiping at his lip with a napkin. “Look if you go to Vermont alone, or with me and your brother only? It’s a bad look for the relationship you two beautiful people are working so hard to craft for the public eye.” He says, glancing between Kagome and Inuyasha as he attempted to build his case. “People will start to speculate about everything, why aren’t they together? What’s going on? They were so cute together what happened? Ahh!! Look, it’s just better if you come with him to Vermont. Who knows, maybe you two will learn to actually like each other instead of just being civil. Lord knows Kagome would freak if she woke up and her face was plastered onto every gossip magazine, website, and YouTube video talking about what’s going on in your fake love life.” 

“I’d like to point out my love life is very much real— “ 

“Inuyasha we all know you’re too much of an ass to get any of your own.” Miroku shot back. 

_I’m certain that’s most definitely not the reason he hasn’t gotten laid in a while,_ Kagome thought to herself as she glanced over at Inuyasha who merely glared at his friend. She looked back toward Miroku, countering his point. “Wait but..wouldn’t that also help paint Inu here in a positive light. 

“Don’t call me that, wench.” Inuyasha grumbled, before inquiring about what she said. “How exactly?” 

“Yeah,” Miroku echoed, squinting at Kagome, “how?” 

“Well look,” She said, as she took a sip of her drink. “Let them believe there _is_ trouble in paradise by having him go on a long, let's say two or three weeks visit to his estate in Vermont, or he can go to Japan, where ever. It’ll give the impression that the argument or the break or whatever hit him _so hard_ he felt like he had to leave his daily life for a little, to ‘reflect’ and think about it. It’ll paint him in a soft light. Meanwhile, I, in the city, will get some more attention, essentially bringing more attention to our relationship.” Kagome explained. She looked around the table at the stunned, albeit impressed, faces of her friends. “Does that…make sense?” She asked, pursing her lips. 

“Kagome, you’re fucking brilliant.” Miroku said, as he sat back in his chair, rubbing his chin, he pointed a finger at Kagome while looking at Inuyasha. “If you don’t marry this genius I will.” He said, earning a punch to the head from Sango. “My apologies.” He winced, rubbing his head. 

“Watch it, dumbass.” Inuyasha grumbled at his friend, before turning his attentions back toward Kagome. “That’s a smart idea, really. Probably the smartest shit you’ve said since I’ve met you. But there’s no guarantee that it’ll work.” He said, rolling his eyes. 

“Oh yes it will.” Sango chimed, beaming a smile at her friend. “Gossip websites, magazines, all that…they _love_ a good trouble in paradise, reconciled story. People eat them up.” She said confidently, winking at Kagome. Miroku clapped his hands together once, and smiled. 

“Right so it’s settled. Inuyasha you get to go to your house in Vermont for a few weeks this summer, how’s that?” He asked, smiling. Inuyasha raised his eyebrows and beamed an empty smile at his friend. 

“That’s just great, Miroku.” He said sarcastically, sighing as he looked down at his phone. It was getting late and quite frankly his social battery was getting drained. He wasn’t in a ‘going out’ mood to begin with, but he knew that he and Kagome hadn’t made any public appearances together since yesterday, at the charity event. “Hey um, I’m actually really tired, I think I’m gonna go home, Miroku I’ll PayPal you for Kagome and I’s part alright?” He gave Kagome a small side hug, and a quick kiss on her temple and excused himself from the table before anyone had a chance to talk to him. Kagome blinked, confused for a second as she watched Inuyasha walk toward the elevator, she looked toward Miroku for any explanation. 

“It’s been a hard day,” Miroku said, running a hand through his short hair, “look I really don’t want to speak on it, it’s not my place to share information.” He said, raising his hands in defense. “Let him be, he’ll be fine in a few days.” 

“He really didn’t seem himself tonight.” Kagome said, worry in her eyes as she stared in the direction he took off. “He was really quiet and reserved today, he couldn’t seem to muster up the same energy he has every other day… should I ask him?” 

“No.” Miroku said, shaking his head, “just let him be…he’ll be okay.” 

“She’s gonna ask him.” Sango said plainly, sighing as Kagome rose from her seat, grabbing her purse from between her and Inuyasha’s seat, hanging it on the crook of her elbow. She adjusted the deep v-neck cocktail dress she was wearing, before waving to her friends and taking off in his direction, confidence and determination radiating off of her with every high heeled step she took. “Don’t ever tell her not to do something, she’ll do the exact opposite.” Sango sighed, shaking her head. 

“I hope I catch him.” Kagome whispered to herself as she made her way to the elevator and waited for it to open, she was impatient, biting her lip nervously as the door opened. Quickly, she made her way in, and pressed on the down button. She leaned against the wall of the elevator and closed her eyes, waiting for when it would stop and the doors would open. When they finally did, Kagome walked quickly through the lobby, and out of the building. She looked down both sides of the street, trying to catch a glimpse of silver hair somewhere and fuzzy dog ears. “We aren’t that far from his apartment building…” Kagome said to herself, her voice trailing off as she bit her lip and walked in the direction of his apartment building, as she approached the corner of the street, she breathed a sigh of relief as she saw Inuyasha standing there, his fuzzy dog ears swiveling atop his head. “Inuyasha!” She called, as she made her way toward him. He turned his head and locked his golden eyes with hers, before rolling his eyes and turning to face her. She smiled as she reached his side, looking up at him. Even with heels he towered slightly over her. “Hey! You uh, left kind of suddenly back there. Are you okay?” 

“It’s none of your business.” Inuyasha spat back to her, turning to walk across the street. She followed suite. _What an incessant bitch,_ Inuyasha thought to himself as he walked, completely ignoring her presence, or at least he would if she didn’t smell so intoxicating. 

“Well, yeah I agree with that.” Kagome said shrugging as she walked beside him, “It isn’t any of my business but you kind of left super suddenly, and it’s really not like you so I wanted to come check on you and make sure you’re okay because, like ya know you really haven’t been acting like yourself today and I wanted to know if maybe it had something to do with the charity event yesterday, and having to spend the night in jail, and you never answered my text so—“ 

“Oh, my fucking god.” Inuyasha said, vividly irritated with the petite woman next to him. He turned his head to look at her, scoffing at her. “Okay, number one? I don’t give a fuck about what happened last night. Number two? I have spent more nights in jail than I have in my fucking bed. And number three? My life is none of your god forsaken business. So, buzz off, bitch!” Inuyasha yelled, his eyes briefly flashing red. For a moment he realized what he had done, as he saw his reflection in her big brown eyes, tears threatening to spill over. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to.” He said quickly, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’m stressed out. That’s not an excuse. I’m sorry. I— “ 

“No, I get it.” Kagome said, laughing sadly as she wiped away a tear from her eye. Sniffling. Inuyasha’s nose twitched at the smell of the salty tears and he looked up from the ground, staring at her. “I—you’re right. It’s not my business. I don’t have to know. I was wrong for even asking after Miroku specifically told me not to. I’m sorry...I probably deserved that...” her voice trailed off as she sighed, looking up to the sky, wiping away her tears so they wouldn’t ruin her make up. “I just…don’t know how you feel about me, Inuyasha.” She breathed. Inuyasha felt his heart skip a beat as his eyes widened at her words. _What is he thinking? What goes on in that head of his?_

_“_ What do you mean?” Inuyasha asked innocently, tilting his head. His silver hair gently brushing against his hips, where his t-shirt had risen slightly. “I’m not sure how to answer that question.” 

“Yeah…” Kagome said, smiling weakly at him, “me neither.” 

“I think it best we don’t talk about that…ya know, so things don’t get complicated.” Inuyasha said, puffing out his cheeks, and exhaling. Kagome nodded her head, understanding the underlying implications of his words. She ran a hand gently through her hair, as they stood there on the sidewalk, staring at each other, waiting for one another to move. Finally, Inuyasha stepped forward, and gently brushed away her bangs, before he offered her a small grin, a fang poking out over his bottom lip slightly. “I’m sorry I almost ruined your make up. I know you women like painting your faces all pretty and shit and it takes a lot of time.” Inuyasha said gently, searching Kagome’s eyes. He noticed her cheeks flush a slight red color, and he laughed slightly. 

“It’s um…it’s alright.” Kagome said nervously, gently swatting Inuyasha’s hand away from her face. “How do you know that women like to take their time on it?” Kagome questioned, although she was certain of how Inuyasha would respond as they started walking anew to his apartment building. She had no idea why she was following him, but she figured Miroku and Sango needed a little push to get themselves sorted out as it was clear that neither Miroku or Sango knew what they wanted from their relationship. Weirdly enough, it seemed as Kagome and Inuyasha were headed in that same direction, albeit it their situation was much more complicated, and temporary. 

“My ex.” Inuyasha said plainly, nodding his head slightly. “Kikyo, she…really liked make up.” He said, laughing, “she could spend hours in the bathroom trying different looks.” Kagome felt as if her heart had been squeezed, but she ignored it, only smiling at Inuyasha. Of course, hearing him talk about her was difficult for her, but she couldn’t show that to him, especially since she wasn’t exactly sure why it was so difficult for her. 

“I’m sure she was lovely.” Kagome said, smiling at him, “She sure sounds like it.” 

“Yeah, she was.” He replied, as they walked side by side. After a few moments of silence passed, he spoke, “but it’s in the past now. We broke up, she’s moved on with her life and I…well...” He shook his head, “Why am I telling you this? You don’t really care right?” He said, glancing over at Kagome who shrugged her shoulders. 

“People tell me they always feel safe enough to confide in me so I’m used to people telling me things like this.” Kagome said, smiling weakly at Inuyasha. “So…Miroku told me today was a hard day for you.” She said, gently as to not anger the hanyou beside her. 

“What? He said that? No,” he laughed nervously, “it was alright. He’s exaggerating.” Inuyasha said, deflecting from what she was trying to get at. “Don’t believe everything he says, and don’t go poking around in my life based off of hints, got it?” He added, angrily as they arrived at his apartment building. Kagome winced again, slightly hurt by his sudden shift in tone. 

“You know I don’t fucking appreciate being spoken to however the fuck you feel like it.” Kagome spat back, glaring at Inuyasha. Inuyasha grumbled at her and glared back, crossing his arms. “You really should learn to fucking control your temper. You think you can do whatever the fuck you want with the people around you. Actually, you didn’t have to fucking yell at me about poking around in your life at all. Period! That’s the last time I try to be fucking nice to you!” Kagome yelled at him, her hands balled up in fists at her sides, the bracelets on her wrist jingling with the movement of her hands. “I can’t stand you!” 

“I can’t stand you!” Inuyasha mocked, rolling his eyes. “I can’t fucking stand you either, wench! Go the fuck home!” He yelled at her, by then a few people on the sidewalk had stopped to stare at the couple. 

“ **I DON’T WANT TO!** ” Kagome yelled back to Inuyasha who found himself now speechless. Inuyasha grabbed her by the arm, and hurried into the apartment building with Kagome, who grumbled and cursed at him as they waited for an elevator. “I don’t want to go home.” Kagome said softly once they were inside the elevator, Inuyasha glanced over at her, and huffed. “Look if all you’re going to do is grumble and huff at me and call me wench and insult me then I have no problem going home since that’s what you obviously wan— “ 

“Oh, shut up.” Inuyasha breathed as they reached his penthouse floor. He gently led her to the kitchen, and hoisted her up so that she sits on the counter, his lips hovered over hers for a second as they both pondered the trouble this would cause them down the line; but the sexual tension between them was so _thick. Like her thighs,_ Inuyasha thought to himself, as his hands gently gripped her thighs, as they wrapped around his midriff. “This is definitely going to complicate things, isn’t it sweetheart?” He asked, his voice low as he whispered in her ear. He felt her breath hitch in her throat as he raised one hand, gently gripping the sides of her neck as he kissed her slowly. 

“You’re horrible.” Kagome giggled, as she tangled her hands in his hands, gasping as she felt his tongue slide against her chest. “Well what are you waiting for, _Inuyasha_ _?”_ Kagome whispered in his ear, planting small kisses along his neck. She started grabbing at his shirt, as he pulled away from her and threw his shirt on the ground. She took a moment to run her hands down his chest, and stomach, before crashing her lips against his. _This is so bad,_ Kagome thought as felt her back come up against a wall, and a finger slip under the straps of her cocktail dress. She kicked off her heels as she undid his pants, their breathing heavy. _This is_ _so..so_ _…good,_ she corrected herself, as she felt her bra come undone, and she heard its gentle thud against the hardwood floors of his hallway. 

There was a moment, when she felt herself be gently put down on the covers of his bed, in which all of her worries melted away, it was just her and Inuyasha, and his bed. She felt his hand grab gently onto the lace of her underwear, and golden eyes looked up at her, expecting a response. “Can I?” Inuyasha asked, and she nodded. 

“Yes.” She responded, and lifted her hips to allow him to easily slip them off of her. She could feel his breathe against her skin, and goosebumps raised on her arms. She gasped as she felt his tongue. Her hands gripped the sheets, as she allowed herself to give into his touch for the night. 

When Kagome awoke, she quickly realized that she was certainly not in her apartment in the Bronx. She blinked against the sun's rays, and pulled the covers up closer to her bare chest. She felt a strong, chiseled arm pull her closer to a warm body, and all of the events of the night flashed through her mind, butterflies filling her stomach. “Oh my god.” She breathed, covering her face with the sheets. _I definitely had sex with_ _Inuyasha_ _!_ She yelled internally at herself, she felt her face heat up as her heart race began to speed up. She attempted to wiggle out of his grasp, but with each wriggle of her body she was pulled closer toward the peacefully sleeping hanyou . She looked over her shoulder, and shifted her body so that she was facing him. “He looks so peaceful.” She whispered to herself, as she watched him sleep, some of his silver hair was covering his face and his free hand was pressed against his cheek, every once in a while, the ears atop his head flickered, as if he was hearing something in his dream. Kagome found herself smiling, as she slipped out from under his arm. She shivered as her feet touched the cold hardwood floor of his room. She tip - toed toward her underwear and slipped them back on before she picked up his t-shirt from the floor and pulled on over her head. She shuffled toward the kitchen, where she looked around for the coffee maker, finally locating it, she began to make coffee, taking in the view of Manhattan from his apartment, as the sun rose above the city. _It’s so peaceful here,_ Kagome thought, as she walked toward a window, pressing her hand softly against the glass as she looked over the city. It was a breath-taking view, that she would kill to be able to see in the morning, if even for a few days. She smiled to herself as the aroma of freshly made coffee filled the air. She turned on her heel to go poor herself a cup of coffee, when she came face to face with Inuyasha, who managed to put on a pair of sweatpants before coming into the kitchen. “Oh, uh…good morning.” She said awkwardly, as she walked past him into the kitchen. 

Inuyasha was still groggy and rubbing his eyes, as he turned to face the kitchen. He yawned. “Good morning.” He responded, rolling his shoulders, as he opened the cabinet that had the mugs in it. He took out two, and handed one to Kagome. “Sugar is in the spice cabinet…milk is in the fridge. I drink oat milk so if you drink dairy, you’re out of luck.” He said, his voice raspy and low, like it was back in the hotel in Vegas. Kagome felt her stomach do a flip at the sound of his voice. She watched as he poured himself a cup of coffee and placed it on the counter as he hoisted hismself up, to sit on the counter. Kagome poured herself a cup of coffee and went to the fridge, taking out the carton of oat milk for her to put in her coffee. “Um…so…did I…you know…” he started, awkwardly, dragging a claw around the rim of his coffee mug. 

“Did you what?” Kagome asked, as she put the carton back into the fridge, and took a sip of the coffee. She leaned on the kitchen counter across from Inuyasha, waiting for him to finish his sentence. _If you’re asking if you made me orgasm, the answer is yes…many times,_ Kagome thought, as she took another sip of her coffee. 

“Did I happen to like, finish in you…or do you not remember?” Kagome’s eyes went wide was she choked on her coffee. “Oh boy...” Inuyasha muttered, as he hopped off of the counter. Kagome raised a hand. “Are you okay?” 

“Yes, I’m fine.” Kagome said, regaining her composure. “Uh, I just remembered that I forgot to take my pill yesterday…” Kagome said, a pained expression on her face. She saw Inuyasha’s eyes widen with fear. “I honestly don’t remember if you did…it was a long night.” 

“You take the pill? Who could possibly be screwing you?” Inuyasha teased, causing Kagome to roll her eyes at him. He seemed to always have something to say about her. 

“I take it for my period, dipshit, it helps my cramps.” She threw back at him, causing the smug expression on his face to falter. “Besides, we both know I’m the first person you’ve fucked in a while.” Kagome spat back at him, causing his jaw to drop slightly. 

_Damn,_ he thought, _she’s even worse in the morning._ Shaking his head, he took a sip of his coffee. “Okay look, I vaguely remember not pulling out once or twice. So how about we go to the pharmacy and get a Plan-B pill and hope to god you aren’t pregnant.” He said, “we can get breakfast beforehand so you don’t take it on an empty stomach, alright?” Inuyasha added, as he turned back toward his room, Kagome followed him, and picked up her shoes, dress and bra as she found them on the floor. “You can change in the bathroom.” Inuyasha said, as he stepped into his closet and closed the door. 

Sighing, Kagome walked into his bathroom and closed the door behind her. “Wow…pretty nice bathroom.” She muttered to herself, dragging her foot against the marble floor. She looked at herself in the mirror and noticed that her makeup was slightly messed up, but nothing nightmarish, mentally she applauded inuyasha for not taking a jab at her makeup. She washed her face until all the makeup was off, and then dried her face off with a clean hand towel. She took off Inuyasha’s shirt and tossed it to the side. Kagome put on her bra, and then slipped on the mauve colored cocktail dress. She pulled on her heels, and when she opened the door, Inuyasha was waiting to come into the bathroom. “All yours.” Kagome says, passing by him. Inuyasha’s eyes trailed after her for a few moments, before he went into the bathroom to brush his teeth. A few moments later, Kagome joined him, bumping him out of the way for her to do her hair in front of the mirror. Groaning, Inuyasha turned, and started to brush his teeth in the reflection of the glass shower, although his eyes were actually looking at Kagome’s ass. 

Look, he couldn’t just grow up with Miroku and not learn a few of his tricks. He was, after all, still a man. “Are you done?” Inuyasha asked, struggling to keep the foam from the toothpaste in his mouth. 

“Yup.” Kagome responded, as she tightened her pony tail. 

Finishing up in the bathroom, Inuyasha fished his keys and wallet out of the pair of pants he wore last night, as Kagome waited by the elevator. “So where are we eating?” Kagome asked, as they entered the elevator. Inuyasha bit his lip as he thought about it for a second. “I mean I know a brunch place we can go to.” Kagome said, shrugging her shoulders, “It’s near central park, with a pretty view of the park. Very nice.” 

“What time is it?” Inuyasha muttered, as he looked down at his watch. “it’s 10:30…alright.” He responded, shrugging his shoulders as the elevator doors opened to the garage. “Sounds good.” He said, as he pulled his sunglasses down from atop his head. As they approached the car, Inuyasha spoke again. “I’m positive paparazzi is going to be outside the garage door when we leave, so look happy, okay?” He said as they got into the car. 

“I know the drill Inuyasha.” Kagome responded plainly. “Or should I say, ‘dada’ “She joked, giggling as she saw Inuyasha go pale. 

“Please for the love of god do not joke about me having kids…like ever. I _don’t_ ever want kids.” He said seriously, as he pulled out of his parking spot. Kagome raised an eyebrow at Inuyasha. 

“What? Everyone wants— “ 

“Not me. Got it? I don’t fucking want kids. I don’t even like joking about that shit.” 

“Alright then, mr. grumpy…noted.” Kagome said, as she found a spare pair of sunglasses in the glove compartment of his car and out them on. _She is way too comfortable,_ Inuyasha thought to himself. As they pulled out of the garage, the car was instantly swarmed by a group of men and women with cameras, tapping on the windows and yelling questions at the couple. Kagome waved quietly at them, smiling slightly, and then lowered her head so that the lights from the cameras wouldn’t blind her. It didn’t matter how good the sunglasses she borrowed were, it was still a lot of flash for one person to handle. 

“That’s a lot of paps.” Kagome said, once they were out of the swarm of people and on their way to the pharmacy. 

“I don’t know, but something tells me it’s because I got into a full out brawl at a charity event two days ago and we may have yelled at each other in front my apartment building.” Inuyasha responded, glancing over at Kagome, “it could just be me speculating though.” 

“Oh yeahhhh.” Kagome said, laughing a little, “I completely forgot about those events. You really haven’t had a good 72 hours, have you? You got into a fight, went to jail, had a bad day at training, and then possibly got a girl you don’t even like pregnant.” Kagome’s voice trailed off as she listed all the events that happened in the past seventy-two hours to the grumpy half demon by her side. 

“We can’t tell anyone last night happened…understood?” Inuyasha said, while they were at a red light. Kagome blinked, puzzled that the topic was so suddenly brought up. “No one can know we had sex. Not even Sango. Miroku and Sesshomaru cannot find out.” 

“Yeah…right.” Kagome said, her feelings slightly hurt. 

“Look, I thoroughly enjoyed myself last night. But it’s just easier if they don’t know we slept together.” 

“How are we going to explain us leaving your apartment today?” 

“We can tell them you just decided to stay over because…we were talking about that idea you had.” Inuyasha responded, as they pulled into the parking lot of the pharmacy. 

“My plan?” 

“Yeah,” he responded as he parked the car, “you know that plan you had that would explain me going to Vermont for a few weeks.” 

“Oh, that plan!” Kagome explained, nodding her head. “I remember now…yeah that could work as a good excuse.” 

“Besides, I’m sure Miroku and Sango spent a good amount of time together last night too.” Inuyasha said, winking at Kagome. 

“Oh definitely…wait why are we here first? I thought brunch was first?” 

“It’s better to get it now rather than later. We don’t have much attention now.” 

“Right.” 

Once inside the pharmacy, Kagome grabbed a basket from near the entrance. “A basket? Why a basket?” Inuyasha questioned quietly, as they walked through the pharmacy, toward the back, where the actual pharmacy was located. They approached the counter. 

“I need some shampoo and skin care stuff too.” Kagome responded, as the pharmacy technician came to the counter. “Hi! Um, I need a Plan-B pill.” Kagome said quietly, leaning over the counter. The pharmacy technician’s gaze shifted between Kagome and Inuyasha, who feigned to be extremely interested in the tiles of the ceiling. They turned around, and grabbed a plan-b pill from the shelf, sliding it toward Kagome. “Can we come back and pay for this along with some other stuff in a few minutes? I just need to grab some skin care stuff.” 

“I’m sorry ma’am, I can’t allow that, you have to pay for it now, in order to continue shopping.” The technician explained. Inuyasha cleared his throat, grabbing the attention of the technician, he flashed his black card at the woman, waving it slightly in the air. 

“We have the money lady; she just needs some other shit first.” 

Biting her lip, the technician rolled her eyes, “okay fine. But make it quick.” 

“Thank you!” Kagome said, and put the pill package in her basket. She and Inuyasha turned, and made their way toward the skin care aisle, where Kagome marveled at all the options, and busied herself by looking at all the ingredients. “So…is your place in Vermont like a big place or a small cottage in the forest or what?” Kagome said, trying to start conversation. 

“Big. 6 bedrooms, seven bathrooms, a pool, in home theatre, and horse stables.” Inuyasha responded, as he stood behind Kagome, his arms crossed. 

“Horse stables?” Kagome questioned, smiling at Inuyasha. “I used to ride horses. Up until college, because I went to a school in a big city and I didn’t have much time on my hands.” 

“Oh…that explains a lot.” 

“You’re disgusting, Inuyasha.” Kagome sneered, as she threw a bottle of facial cleanser and moisturizer into the basket. 

“Couldn’t help it.” He shrugged, secretly proud of himself for the comment. _Every day you turn more and more into that lecherous monk,_ Inuyasha thought to himself, shaking his head at himself. He watched as Kagome put make up wipes, and sunscreen in the basket as well. 

As they walked through the candy aisle to go to the shampoo aisle, he noticed Kagome put gummy bears and caramel in the basket as well. He raised an eyebrow, thinking it odd that she was selecting things she didn’t even mention needing, but he decided against commenting on it. 

“Oh my god,” Inuyasha turns his head at the sound of a voice, a teenage boy, who stared wide eyed and shaking at Inuyasha. “No fucking way.” 

Inuyasha looked around himself, and then pointed at himself. “Huh? Me?” Inuyasha questioned, puzzled. 

“Yes! I’d know those ears _anywhere!_ You’re **the** Inuyasha Takahashi!” The teenager said, shaking as he fished his phone out of his pocket. Kagome raised her sunglasses, letting them rest atop her head, as she tailed behind inuyasha who was now walking toward the teenager. “Can we please take a picture? You’re like my idol, man! You’re such an inspiration to me, you made me pick up MMA.” 

“Aw, no way…really?” Inuyasha asked, smiling. He threw his arm back, and wrapped it around Kagome’s waist. “Oh uh, this is my girlfriend, Kagome.” Inuyasha said, pointing at her. “Kagome meet random teenage boy, random teenage boy meet Kagome. We can definitely take a picture if you want.” 

“Pleasure to meet you, miss.” The boy said, bowing his head slightly. “You look so much prettier in person.” Kagome smiled awkwardly at the comment as she shook the boy's hand. 

_Not sure whether to be flattered or insulted…_ Kagome wondered, nonetheless, the moment was touching as it was the first time she saw Inuyasha interact with a fan as genuinely as he was now. She watched as the teen boy waved down a bystander and handed him his phone, nestling himself between Kagome and Inuyasha. She smiled at the camera for a few seconds, and then stood by for a few minutes while Inuyasha talked with the boy. She watched him take his phone and follow the boy on instagram, and twitter, which genuinely warmed her heart. It was odd seeing him be so kind to him, as she wasn’t usually exposed to his kind side. When Inuyasha turned his attentions back to Kagome, she smiled at him brightly, and turned on her heel toward the shampoo aisle. 

“What? What are you smiling so hard for?” Inuyasha asked, trailing behind Kagome as she looked for shampoo. 

“Nothing,” she shrugged, taking a bottle of shampoo off the shelf, “that whole interaction was wholesome. Really warmed my heart.” 

“Oh, shut up.” Inuyasha spat at her, sneering. 

“Oh, shut up!” Kagome mocked, giggling at the frustrated expression on Inuyasha’s face. 


	13. "Private Matters"

“All rise.” The officer called, prompting the courtroom to rise to their feet. Inuyasha nervously glanced around the room, temporary making eye contact with the plaintiff, who glared at him angrily. He quickly averted his gaze, and turned his head to look at his lawyer. 

“Look, Totosai...I really _really_ can’t afford to be charged with crimes over this one. It was literally an accident!” Inuyasha whisper yelled to his lawyer. He was an aging man, slightly out of sorts with the world, and a strange aptitude for twisting words in Inuyasha’s favor. Inuyasha never complained about that of course, he would much rather have a lawyer that was slightly dirty then one who always played by the books. Totosai glanced over at Inuyasha with his big, buggy eyes, and winked at him. He felt his body relax as the judge gave the okay for the people in the court to sit down. As Inuyasha sat down, Miroku, leaned forward from his place behind him and squeezed his shoulder in support. Inuyasha knew it would be proven that he was not in the wrong and that it was merely a misunderstanding of sorts. The plaintiff was just accidently elbowed in nose by Inuyasha at the club that night all those weeks ago. He looked up through narrowed eyes at the judge, who glared down at inuyasha, as he twirled his pen between his fingers, reading over Inuyasha’s criminal history. 

“Young man...Inuyasha, is it?” The older man said from his place, the gavel resting near his hand. Totosai gently nudged Inuyasha underneath the table, encouraging him to speak. 

“Yeah...that’s me.” Inuyasha said quietly, bouncing his leg nervously, a trait he inherited from his father. 

“Excuse me?” The judge asked, the hair on the back of Inuyasha’s raised as he looked up at the judge. “You are to address me correctly, young man.” 

“Call him ‘your honor’, and please be formal Inuyasha...he seemed pissed off at you already.” Totosai whispered from beside Inuyasha. He sighed as he rolled his eyes and cleared his throat. 

“Yes, your honor, I'm Inuyasha Takahashi.” He said, nervously pushing away his bangs from his face. He looked up at the judge, nervously awaiting a response. The judge merely sighed, raising a finger to his temple. 

“Young man...I am slow to anger, but I toe the line...do you understand?” He said, as he glanced down at the thick pile of papers that consisted of Inuyasha’s criminal history. “When I see your criminal history...and the number of things you have done in not just this country but in Japan...your native land, I am moved to anger. It truly is a miracle that you are free, and allowed to continue in your career as you have.” He says, taking his time in speaking as he addresses Inuyasha. A lump formed in Inuyasha’s throat, but he ignored it. “Really your crimes constitute deportation...seeing as you are here on permanent residence status, am I correct?” The judge asked, to which Inuyasha nodded meekly. 

“That is correct, your honor.” 

“And yet here you are for what seems to be your tenth time since arriving in this country, again for a battery charge.” The judge says removing his glasses. “Son do you care to explain the events of the night?” 

“Say yes.” Totosai whispered, under his breath as he pretended to adjust the buttons on his suit jacket. 

“Yes.” Inuyasha responded, as he briefly looked over to the plaintiff who glared at him from across the room. “Your honor on the night these events took place, I was indeed present at the plaintiff's workplace. However, I am being unjustly and frankly wrongfully accused of battery. You see, I was actually quite peacefully minding my own business at the club when I was approached by another male, who began to antagonize me and bother me, calling me names and pushing me. I repeatedly told this man that I was in way looking to fight him and tried to deescalate the situation. I also, repeatedly told the man that I was a trained mixed martial arts fighter and that I was not afraid to use my skills on him. When the man began to physically hit me, I hit him back in self-defense. The area in which we were was crowed, so a few people were caught in the cross fire of our punches, mostly from the other man. I can only assume that the plaintiff here attempted to break up the fight and, in that attempt, ended up getting elbowed by me, as I have no recollection of hitting anyone who was not the man that started the fight that night.” He sighed after he was finished with his explanation, and looked in the direction of the plaintiff. “It was unintentional. An accident.” 

The judge looked toward the plaintiff and asked, “does this sound accurate? Did you willingly go into the fight and attempt to stop it?” 

“Yes, I did, your honor.” The man admits. 

“Your honor, if I may, whether the gentleman’s attack on my client was intentional or not, bodily harm was still caused. Uh, may I move to present exhibit A, documentation by a plastic surgeon and general doctor that examined my client?” The plaintiff's lawyer spoke, the judge glanced over at Inuyasha briefly, before sighing. 

“Sustained.” He answered, to which opposing counsel approached the bench with the documentation and then distributed documentation to Inuyasha’s table. 

“As can be seen, my client’s nose experienced a deviated septum due to the trauma of Mr. Takahashi’s hit, as well as a deep fracture that essentially constitutes as a break in _half_ of my client's nose. My client will need to a very expensive plastic surgery in order to repair their nose. Essentially, the defendant as done enough damage to be tried for battery.” 

“Your honor, opposing counsel is using accusatory language against my client.” Totosai spoke up, as he looked over the paperwork, and then tossed it to the side. 

“Sustained.” The judge said. 

“Respectfully, your honor, the plaintiff himself admitted to inserting himself into a violent fight, for heroic reasons, but unfortunately, he ended up getting hurt, something that he could have only knew was going to happen.” Totosai said as he rose from his seat. “In addition, it must be noted that the plaintiff is employed as a barback at the establishment where these events transpired.” He added, “as far as I know, as a barback you are supposed to get the attention of security in order to break up fights.” 

“Your honor the area where the fight took place was very crowded, it was very unlikely that the security team would get to the fight in time.” Opposing counsel countered quickly, glaring at Totosai. 

“Are you implying that there wasn’t enough security in the large establishment, counsel?” Tototsai shot back, causing the judge to bang his gravel three times to restore order to the court. 

Inuyasha smiled as he sat back in his seat. “I won.” he says under his breathe, as he felt Miroku pat his back gently. He looked up at the judge who seemed to sit back in his seat, weighing what each counsel presented. Sighing, he rubbed his temple as he took some time to gather his words. 

Then he spoke, “I’m ordering for all charges against Inuyasha Takahashi to be dropped, and am instead ordering for Mr. Takahashi to pay the cost and expenses of the surgery, the plaintiff requires to, err...fix their nose.” The judge noticed Inuyasha’s relieved expression, and pointed a finger at Inuyasha. “Before I miss you from my courtroom, I have a few choice words for you, young man.” 

“Oh boy.” Miroku whispered from behind Inuyasha, as he noticed the frustrated expression on his face. “Incoming.” he said meekly. 

“You...are an incontrollable menace to society, you know that? You’re lucky I decided to be lenient with you on this one.” The judge said, biting his lip as he struggled with accepting the fact that he was letting Inuyasha go. “Look, you are two more offenses away from being deported son, you understand this, do you?” The judge asked, watching as realization seemed to fill Inuyasha’s eyes. “Stay out of trouble, will you? I’d hate for this country to lose you.” 

“Yes, sir.” Inuyasha responded quickly, as he rose from his seat. The judge banged his gavel as he announced that the court was dismissed, and stepped down from the bench. Inuyasha turned toward Miroku and gave him a hug, and then turned toward Totosai. “Thanks for the help, old man.” 

“Who me? Pfft, the case was dead on arrival.” Totosai said as he scratched the side of his head, he then ran a hand through his hair, and sighed as he walked past Inuyasha. “You let me know next time you need me. I’ll send a bill to that brother of yours.” He said and added under his breath, “who scares me half to death.” 

Inuyasha then turned his attentions back toward Miroku who smiled weakly at his friend. “What?” 

“The judge had a point Inuyasha.” Miroku replied, in a sing-song voice as they exit the courtroom. Inuyasha grumbled beside him, but didn’t offer much else in response. “You’re now in three strikes territory. Two more and you’re out.” He said seriously, as he walked beside his friend and client down the hall. “You have your next hearing in two weeks, that counts toward your three strikes so after that you have one last chance to fix your life before you’re facing real consequences.” 

“They say that every time Miroku.” Inuyasha says plainly, shrugging his shoulders. “They always say I have very few chances left and that I’m in danger of deportation and guess what? It never happens.” He sighed, turning his head to look at friend, “relax. I have everything under control.” 

_No,_ _you don’t, your life is a mess,_ Miroku thinks to himself, as he walks down the steps of the courthouse with Inuyasha. He briefly toward the doorway, where he sees a crowd of paparazzi crowding the entrance. “Brace yourself.” He warned as he nudged Inuyasha, showing him the entrance. Inuyasha felt dread fill him as he saw the amount of people at the doorway and placed a hand on Miroku’s shoulder. 

“How about we take the back door? Huh? C’mon that way we deal with less people.” He said, urgency filling his voice as they drew closer and closer to the door. Miroku snorted at him. “Uh, please?” 

“You never say please, so this is weird.” Miroku said warily, stopping in his tracks. “What’s up?” 

“Uh nothing!” Inuyasha responded, rubbing the back of his neck, “I just kinda feel claustrophobic today? Can we take the back door?” 

“Inuyasha the car is like right there, it’s not that far away from the door, you will be fine.” Miroku responded, furrowing his eyebrows at Inuyasha. “Now come on.” 

“Right...okay...yeah you’re right.” Inuyasha said passively, as he followed Miroku out of the door, instantly he regretted not throwing his usual bratty fit about going out the back door, as they were immediately swarmed with questions, cameras flashing and paparazzi stumbling over one another as they all tried to get a response from Inuyasha. 

_“_ _Inuyasha_ _are you and Kagome thinking of starting a family??”_

_“You have just hit the two and a half mark in your relationship! Are you sure she is the one?”_

_“_ _Inuyasha_ _, how did you fell about having to buy the pill!”_

_“How did she feel about having to go get a morning after pill?!”_

_“_ _Inuyasha_ _do you love her?”_

_“Do you wish to move in together before you decide to start a family? Is that why you bought the pill yesterday?”_

“What?!” Miroku shouted, turning on his heel to look at Inuyasha, Inuyasha shrunk slightly in his place, knowing fully well that he had unlocked a new level of wrath in Miroku. “We...will speak of this when we get to your apartment.” Miroku said lowly, his hands balled in fists as he turned to shove his way through the crowd. Once he reached the car, he opened the door and allowed Inuyasha to climb into the car before he did. 

“Look I can explain—” 

“ **THERE IS NOTHING TO EXPLAIN INUYASHA**!” Miroku exclaimed, causing Inuyasha to fill with anger. 

“ **YOU DO NOT SPEAK TO ME THAT WAY**!” He yelled back, grabbing Miroku by the throat, and pushing his head up against the window of the car. He silently thanked god that the windows were tinted. He let go on his neck, and took Miroku’s shirt in his fist. “It was an in the moment decision. Neither one of us planned it. I initiated it. It is in no way Kagome’s fault what happened last night.” 

“The plan is over.” Miroku said through gritted teeth, pushing Inuyasha off of him. “Understood? This is no longer happening. You have officially complicated everything. The kiss was manageable, but now things are extremely complicated.” 

“We are not cancelling anything.” Inuyasha said, as he adjusted his suit jacket. “Understood?” 

“You don’t make the decisions about this, Inuyasha.” Miroku replied bitterly, “ _I_ do.” Inuyasha looked at him through narrowed eyes, and shifted his body so he was facing Miroku. 

“So, what do you want to do.” Inuyasha said, as he crossed his arms. ‘Because we aren’t cancelling this plan with her.” He said sternly, holding his ground. 

“You’re attached.” 

“No.” Inuyasha said, as he pointed toward the back window. “Did you see that? They completely fucking ignored the hearing. They didn’t even _care_ about it, Miroku. It’s working. She’s working.” Inuyasha argued, staring down Miroku, daring him to argue against him. “Miroku.” 

“Sesshomaru and I need to speak to both of you, today. ASAP.” Miroku said, as he sent a text to Kagome and Sesshomaru from his phone. Inuyasha nodded his head. 

“Next time wear a fucking condom.” Miroku sneered at Inuyasha, running a hand through his short hair. Inuyasha shrugged as he dragged his tongue against his teeth. 

“Sorry--heat of the moment. I couldn’t keep my hands off of her.” 

“Learn to.” Miroku responded. “Your contact with her ends after this year. She is to go on with her normal life and you are to proceed in yours as a ‘changed man’.” He added, narrowing his eyes when he saw Inuyasha’s expression turn serious. _He’s grown attached._ “Inuyasha...this is acting. You two are acting.” He reminded, tilting his head. He was very very quickly approaching the last centimeters of the last straw with Inuyasha. He knew that in agreeing to support Inuyasha in his career, he had essentially signed his liberty away to be at his friend’s every beck and call, as his manager and publicist. However, that was before he and Sango agreed to start seeing each other exclusively. He was very quickly realizing that in order to make his own relationship last, he needed to hold on to some sense of sanity; he wasn’t going to if he couldn’t control Inuyasha. Upon arriving at Inuyasha’s apartment building, Sesshomaru stood by the entrance, his usual stoic expression present as he watched Inuyasha and Miroku climb out of the SUV. 

“Brother.” Sesshomaru greeted plainly, watching as Inuyasha approached him. “You’ve fucked up yet again.” He said, as he looked his brother up and down. “Having sex with her? Unprotected? Do you want to be a young father or?” 

“I could do without your poor lecture skills, thank you very much.” Inuyasha said, as he brushed past Sesshomaru, walking into his apartment building. Sesshomaru rolls his eyes as he looks toward Miroku. 

“Look, I tried talking sense into him. He’s hooked on her.” Miroku said, “I let him know they’re cutting contact once the year is over and he didn’t really say much in response.” He added. Sesshomaru sighed as he followed his brother into the building. If he had to admit, it was extremely uncomfortable to have to think of his brother taking a woman. To Sesshomaru, Inuyasha was still a bratty, spoiled, annoying 15 year who had a mouth too smart for his own good. He was starting to find, since beginning to handle his financials and contracts, that Inuyasha’s character had developed little since he was 15. He shook his head slightly to get the thoughts out of his head, and followed Inuyasha to the elevator with Miroku trailing behind him. The elevator ride up to Inuyasha’s apartment was quiet, as awkward silence filled the air. The stood awkwardly spaced out, avoiding eye contact until they reached his apartment. Once the doors opened to Inuyasha’s apartment, Miroku instinctively made his way to the living room, turning on the tv and putting on E! News. “Oh my...” he said, scratching the back of his head as he saw pictures of Kagome and Inuyasha from two days before, and the night that they had gone to dinner to alone, as well as the fight he had against Kouga. 

“So exactly who is Inuyasha’s new mystery girl? Well, sources tell us her name is Kagome Higurashi, 23-year-old graduate of Harvard College. Sources say the pair met at the café she owns and operates near his apartment building, named Cafeium. In a picture taken just yesterday by a fan, shows Kagome carrying a basket with various skincare and hair care products, along with a Plan-B pill, leading us to believe that the pair is wasting no time in taking their relationship to the next level.” The presenter said, smiling as she turned toward her co-host. “Looks like Inuyasha is gonna be off the market for a while.” 

“indeed it does, you know can we talk about her style for a second? I mean- Kagome is just beautiful in everything and anything she wears, and her hair is always so glossy and perfectly taken care of, I think I'm going to need her to drop her hair care routine soon. And a Harvard graduate? Who knew Inuyasha was attracted to smart women, you go girl!” The co-host exclaims, clapping his hands lightly. “But the real mystery here is...why Inuyasha?” 

“Well that’s easy to answer he’s impossibly attractive and loaded. Have you seen his latest cover for Vogue? Absolute masterpiece.” The other host responded, shrugging. 

“Besides that. He has a notorious reputation for being impossible to deal with, a publicist's worst nightmare, his legal track record isn’t exactly squeaky clean, he’s got lots of red flags. Kagome, honey, a girl like you with a boy like him? I just hope your influence is rubbing off on him more than his is on you, lord knows he needs it.” The co-host says plainly, pursing his lips. 

“Oh, come on! I’m not that bad!” Inuyasha yells at the TV. 

“Well she has been able to expose some softness to him, as his recent posts on Instagram have both been pictures of her, with the most recent being a gorgeous picture of them looking out of his _fancy_ private jet’s window and to the city, with an adorable caption reading ‘I’d do anything to see that smile of yours every day of my life.’ He really does seem to be falling hard for her. Moving on, coming up next...the infamous charity fight! Who really started it? Naraku or Inuyasha? We’ll be back after the break.” 

“They have a whole segment...a whole...segment...about you.” Sesshomaru breathed, his eyes widened slightly as he watched the show cut to commercials. “Impressive.” 

“90% of that was about Kagome.” Inuyasha responds, rolling his eyes. “Speaking of which...” his voice trailed off as his head turned in the direction of her scent, staring at the elevator. He watched as the doors opened to reveal Kagome, who was slightly shocked to see Sesshomaru, Inuyasha and Miroku all staring in her direction. 

“Yes? Hi...” she said shyly, as she stepped out of the elevator. “Is something...wrong?” 

“E! News just did a whole segment on you.” Miroku blurted, causing Kagome to raise an eyebrow at the man. “They talked about your hair, how pretty you are, who you are, your sense of style...nothing but praise.” Miroku said, a smile threatening to creep onto his face. 

“Excuse me?” Kagome said, mildly stunned by the fact that she had managed to make national television in such little time. She figured that it would explain the reason why her Instagram had suddenly had an increase in followers in the last twenty-five minutes. “Is that why I’m here?” 

“No, unfortunately.” Sesshomaru chimed, as he found his voice. “We’re here to talk about last nights...events.” 

“I don’t really feel comfortable addressing that.” Kagome said, as she felt her cheeks turn red. She stepped away from the spot where she stood and made her way to the couch, taking a seat next to Inuyasha. “Can we like...not?” 

“Unfortunately, it must be done.” Miroku said, shrugging his shoulders. He too, hated the idea of discussing Inuyasha’s love life in the matter in which they currently were. He would have much rather been hearing about it over drinks, or casually as a topic of conversation as they browsed through shirts at the mall, for instance. 

“I tried to talk about this one on one with Miroku. He insisted, sorry.” Inuyasha said through gritted teeth, pretending to scratch his upper lip. Kagome glanced over to him, and quickly turned her eyes back toward Miroku, who sat on an ottoman on the other side of the coffee table. Sesshomaru stood awkwardly to his side, his arms crossed, his look stern. 

“Look we know we weren’t supposed to do anything beyond what happened the last full moon, it was a mistake. We were drunk, and let ourselves be carried away...we promise it won’t happen again.” Kagome said, rubbing her temples. 

“Honestly, I'm not even too mad about you two sleeping together.” Sesshomaru said, shrugging his shoulders. 

“Yeah, we really—wait what?” Miroku said, turning his head to look up at Sesshomaru, who merely shrugged his shoulders, sticking out his bottom lip. 

“You aren’t?” Inuyasha asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“Really?” Kagome inquired, tilting her head to the side slightly. 

“I’m madder about the pill than anything.” 

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” Miroku whispers to himself, as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “Yo, I thought we were a team.” Miroku whisper yelled to Sesshomaru. 

“You guys are both adults, albeit dumb ones, but you are.” Sesshomaru said, running his fingers through his hair. 

“She literally went to Harvard but okay.” Inuyasha interrupted. 

“I trust you to know the implications and troubles that come along with ‘no strings attached’ sex. Eventually strings do attach, and those strings are hard to cut. So, as we are all adults here, we cannot tell each other to not have sex with someone. Have sex, I don’t care, so long as when the contract ends, you can both be mature enough to cut off those strings. Understood?” Sesshomaru continued, giving Inuyasha in particular a hard look. He knew his brother like the back of his hand, he knew he had a personality that could become addicted and attached very easily, he just had to pray that Kagome was smart enough to realize it sooner, rather than later as well. _Be smart, brother. Make good choices for the next 10 months._

“Ms. Higurashi.” Sesshomaru said suddenly, breaking Kagome out of her train of thought. “My wife has requested to see both you and Ms. Nakamura at your earliest convenience.” 

“Rin? Yes! Of course, she was a pleasure to be around!” Kagome responded nodding her head. “What is it?” 

“She spoke of a ‘girls' night out’ whatever that may entail for you ladies.” He responded, putting quotations around the phrase. “Well, now that this is settled, I’m going home. Thanks to your little display of toxic masculinity at the charity event the other night, the charity is considering removing you from their list of ambassadors. And I know you aren’t interested in the _slightest,_ but Hanyou Child Global Alliance is one of the only things keeping your image afloat, in the mists of all of your legal battles, so I have to work double time to save your ass...congratulations.” Sesshomaru said, flashing a small fake smile in the direction of Inuyasha. 

_This man keeps a straight face so often, I never noticed how his teeth were such absolute perfection,_ Kagome thought to herself as she admired Sesshomaru’s smile for a few seconds, before she turned her attentions to Inuyasha who merely scoffed and turned his nose up. “Typical behavior.” Kagome sighed to herself, earning a glare from Inuyasha. She waved to Sesshomaru as he left, leaving her with both Inuyasha and Miroku. 

“So...” Kagome said, as silence filled the air, “You and Sango?” 

“Oh yeah...”Inuyasha said, trailing his voice. A devilish smile broke over his features as he relaxed into the couch, squinting slightly at Miroku, raising an eyebrow. “You and that pretty brown-haired girl..what’s goin’ on there? I mean...it’s only fair that Kagome and I get to know, ya know, now that you and Sesshomaru and the entirety of the continental United States knows about Kagome and I’s private matters.” He said jokingly, although his voice held a hint of honesty. 

“Yeah, I for once agree with Inuyasha.” Kagome chimed in, smiling evilly at Miroku. 

“I don’t know, you seemed to agree with me a lot two nights ago.” Inuyasha muttered, as he picked at his nails. Kagome hit him forcefully in his ribs, to which he shrugged. “Yeah...probably deserved that.” He adds, briefly rubbing the side of his stomach Kagome punched. 

“I have absolutely no idea what you’re getting at.” Miroku said, raising an eyebrow. He rose from his seat at the ottoman and made his way toward the refrigerator, taking a beer out, and hitting the edge of the cap against the stone countertops, the telltale clatter of the metal on the ground showing that the bottle was opened. He took a swig, before offering a beer to Inuyasha. 

“So... you’re going to open _my_ fridge, take _my_ beer, and then offer me one of my _own_ beers?” Inuyasha asked, looking over his shoulder toward his friend. Miroku shrugged and nodded his head in response. “Okay...fine.” 

“You know...it seems like the alcohol is _never_ low in your house.” Kagome said, as she kicked off her shoes and crossed her legs on the couch. She leaned back and felt skin brush up against her back, she turned to look and noticed that Inuyasha’s arm was resting on the back of the couch. 

“I’m an alcoholic.” Inuyasha said plainly, as he took the cold malt beverage from his friend’s hand. He heard Kagome chuckle, and he let a soft ‘tch’ escape his lips. _If only she knew how much I wasn’t kidding..._

Inuyasha exchanged a knowing look with his friend, before clearing his throat, setting the beer down on his coffee table. “So, tell us.” 

“Okay.” Miroku said, taking a deep breath. “We’re officially dating? As of last night...?” 

“Why do you say it like a question.” Kagome retorts, crossing her arms. “You’re dating, spit it out.” Inuyasha chuckled from beside Kagome, rolling his eyes. 

“You don’t understand, woman.” He says, wiping away a tear from his eye. “This man hasn’t been in an exclusive relationship since we were in middle school.” Inuyasha revealed, banging his fist gently on the back of the couch. “This is his worst nightmare.” 

“Then why fucking be with Sango if it’s your worst fucking nightmare?” Kagome asked, slightly irritated by the man sitting across from her. She watched as he frantically waved his arms, attempting to quell her anger. 

“Kagome, Inuyasha doesn’t mean it like that!” he said, pleadingly, bracing himself for Kagome to throw something his way. “What he means is...I'm afraid of commitment.” 

“That’s exactly what I meant.” Inuyasha responded sarcastically, widening his golden eyes slightly. “Totally. Look, what I meant was... Miroku had a plan.” 

“Yes! A plan!” Miroku interjected, snapping his fingers as he pointed at Inuyasha. 

“Get as many women he could possibly gather to bare his children.” 

“NO!” Miroku yelled, grabbing at his hair. 

‘WHAT?” Kagome yelled, her eyes burning with anger as she tried to restrain herself, less she ruined Inuyasha’s beautiful minimalistic, modern apartment. “Miroku I hope Inuyasha’s joking.” Kagome said through gritted teeth. 

“Trust me I wish I was too, sweetheart.” Inuyasha chimed from beside her, shaking his head slightly. 

“Not at all! God no!” Miroku yelled, rolling his eyes. “Look...I really really like your friend, Kagome. Sango is quite honestly, the woman I want to marry.” He said, watching as inuyasha’s jaw dropped, and a smile broke across the half demon’s face, suddenly his phone wasn’t as interesting as it was just a few minutes prior. “I mean it. In the short time I've known you two she has frankly blown all other women out of the water. The problem—and the reason why Inuyasha said this was my worst nightmare— is that, like he said I haven't been in an exclusive relationship for a very... _very_ long time.” 

After a moment of silence, Kagome spoke, “so what’s the issue?” She asked, shrugging her shoulders as she looked between the men. “If you really love Sango, you shouldn’t be finding other women attractive. If you do, you don’t love her as much as you thought you did, definitely not enough for me to give you my blessing to marry my best friend some day in the future.” Kagome said frankly, and without cutting corners. “Look, figure yourself and what you want out before you go toying with Sango and her feelings. Got it? She is the sweetest, most genuine person you will ever meet, and I guarantee you that if I see tears coming out of her eyes, and I learn that you’re the reason behind it...I will break your kneecaps.” 

“Such a big threat for such a petite person.” Inuyasha muttered, wincing as he felt Kagome grab hold of his ear. “Hey! Watch it!” He yelped, growling at the woman as she pinched his sensitive ear between her fingers, dragging his head down to her level. 

“You need to stop calling me sweetheart, it’s weird!” Kagome remarked, pushing Inuyasha’s head away from her as she spoke, she watched as his ears flickered uncontrollably, as if to alleviate the pain of her pinch on his ear. A clawed hand shot up to rub the ear she pinched, simultaneously glaring at her. 

“Well maybe I wouldn’t try to get under your skin if you didn’t constantly attempt to get under mine.” Inuyasha spat back to Kagome, glaring at him. 

“I--what?! I haven’t even done anything today!” Kagome responded, throwing her hands up in the air. 

“Yeah you did.” Inuyasha said, as he got up from his place on the couch and started toward the bathroom. 

“Like what?!” Kagome threw over her shoulder, glaring holes into Inuyasha’s back. 

“Existed!” Inuyasha yelled back, as he slammed the door to the bathroom. Kagome winced at the loud bang of the door being slammed shut and turned back toward Miroku, who scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. 

“Does he really hate me that much?” Kagome wondered aloud, as she adverted her gaze from Miroku to the floor, deep in thought. 

_If I was Kikyo...would he have said that?_


	14. "Fix Yourself"

“Look you really shouldn’t be doing this.”  Miroku whispered to his friend as they sat on his couch. It was late. Too late for  Miroku to be up, and too late for  Inuyasha to be up either. He turned in his spot, looking at him with pleading eyes. “Like in all honesty, you really  really shouldn’t do this.” He strained his voice on the second really, causing  Inuyasha to turn his nose up, throwing a signature ‘feh!’ his way. 

“Relax, I’ll be fine before we leave tonight.”  Inuyasha responded, holding the bag in his hands. He dragged his thumb across the material, feeling the outline of what was in it. “It won’t take long.” 

“ Inuyasha .”  Miroku pleaded again, “please...I’m begging you. You’ve already got an alcohol problem.” They were sitting in the dark, and  Miroku could only hope that  Inuyasha could sense the urgency in his voice. But he also knew how dense his friend could be. “ Myouga will kill you.” 

“ _Myouga_ doesn’t need to know, does he?” Inuyasha responded through gritted teeth, his ears pinned back slightly, a sign of clear irribility. “Besides, it’s not the worst.” 

“ Yes, but none of them are good, thus there is no good or bad.”  Miroku sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Kagome won’t like it.” 

“She has no input in what I do because we aren’t together.” He shot back, swirling a strand of his silver hair between his fingers. “She won’t know, anyhow.” He added, throwing the bag onto the coffee table.  Miroku watched as he did, and then turned his attentions back to his friend. 

_ Why must he be so stubborn?  _ He thought, as he rose from his place on the couch. He, albeit reluctantly, resolved that no amount of pleading or convincing would convince  Inuyasha to not go through with it. “Your image--” he started, as he paused behind the couch, looking down at Inuyasha. 

“Is rapidly deteriorating, I know.”  Inuyasha finished, looking over his shoulder at Miroku. He offered him a weak smile. 

“Why do you do this to yourself? You have the whole world in your hands and you’re going to destroy everything.” 

“I want to feel something.” 

“Feel something? Feel what? You aren’t happy? You have millions of dollars, three houses, an apartment, fans, a nice car, friends that love you.” 

“My only friend is you.”  Inuyasha interjected, clenching his jaw. “My only friend is you, the only person I can trust...is you,  Miroku .” He added, sighing as he cleared his throat. 

“Then make some more friends if that’s what you want.” 

“I’m not exactly approachable.” 

“ _ Then make yourself fucking approachable,  _ _ Inuyasha _ _ Takahashi. The world is watching.”  _ Miroku shot back, anger filling his voice as he looked over his friend, glaring at him. 

_ “For  _ _ christ’s _ _ sake, fix yourself, Inuyasha.”  _


	15. "Let Down"

There’s a reason why addiction was a disease that slowly manifested over time, and didn’t just explode onto the scene. It liked to take its time. Carefully crafting and planning its unexpected arrival, like a sort of cancer that grows slowly; safe in the warmth your belly has to offer. And  so, it sits...and sits. Growing, manifesting itself evermore in the crevices of your organs...your body...your mind, making itself more and more at home as you live your life oblivious to its existence, carrying on day in and day out with your routine. 

Inuyasha knew that as he sat on his couch, staring at the bag that sat on his coffee table. Amber eyes narrowed as he ran his fingers through his long silver hair. He had seen what addiction could do to one’s life. He had seen what it did to his father, the pain it brought on his family. As a child, he swore not to touch a drop of alcohol in his life if it meant he wouldn’t put others through what he was put through. 

He failed himself in that department. Repeatedly. On numerous  occasions . 

If he was being honest with himself (and that happened  _ rarely _ ), the people he was hurting the most was really only one person. 

It was  Miroku . That man had dedicated his life to  Inuyasha , he wouldn’t deny it. His brother had too, but he wasn’t stupid. He knew  Sesshomaru was really onboard because he smelled money and followed its scent. So really...who was he letting down by doing this that he  _ hadn’t _ let down already? 

He sat there long after Miroku had left, staring at the plastic, airtight bag, ziplocked and taped shut, daring him to open it. He pressed his hands against the sides of his face as he stared at it, wondering if it was worth it. 

It would have been quite obvious to a sober  Inuyasha that the best thing he could have done, was flush the contents of that bag down the toilet, and forget that night had ever existed. Instead, he rose to his feet, stumbling a bit as he leaned forward, grabbing the bag off of the coffee table. He pressed the pads of his thumbs gently into it, letting a heavy sigh escape his lips. He walked to his closet, and divided the curtain of clothing that covered the wall, he looked down at his feet to see the knee-high safe box he kept in his closet, hidden from view. He grunted as he dropped down to its level, taking a minute to let himself get over the nausea that came with his excessive drinking. He squinted his eyes as he put in the code, and opened the door to it once he heard the lock click out of place. He paused for a second, and took a cold, hard look at bag. Even inebriated, he had some handle on what exactly he was doing. 

Or at least, he liked to think he did. 

Shaking his head gently, he dug out packets of money and jewelry from the safe box before he threw the bag the bag into the very back of the safe box, his ears twitching at the sound it made upon landing on the metal floor. A heavy, audible  _ thud.  _ His head turned to look at the pile of money, and jewelry he’d been keeping in there. One by one he put them back in their place, and closed the door. He heard the lock click back into the place. 

His vice would continue to be drinking, for the time being. 

His body fell back on the floor of his closet, his arms covered his eyes from the light. Usually when he got like this, he much preferred to lay on the cold marble floor of his living room or bathroom. Not really for the pleasure for the experience, just because he knew that if he hit let himself go hard enough, he’d knock himself out, and wouldn’t remember a thing when he woke up. He figured that out the last few times he had awoken on his living room floor, with a broken bottle (or many) and sticky hair. The plush carpet of his closet floor just didn’t do. Nonetheless he laid there, too lazy to get up, and too inebriated to get up even if he wanted to. There wasn’t a damn thing that would move his body from this floor. 

“ Inuyasha .” He heard a voice say, and he turned his head lazily in its direction. “ Inuyasha ...get up you son of a bitch.” He grumbled in response. “I said get the hell up!” he felt a gentle kick to his ribs, he swatted an arm in the general direction of the kick. “For the love of god,” he felt his arm be taken into a pair of hands and his body be dragged. From warmth, to cold. “Sober up, bitch.” Water. 

Lots, and lots and lots of water. 

He gasped as he sat up in the shower, a hand over his chest as he slicked back his hair with his other hand. He felt a hand grab him by the shirt, pulling him closer to the face that belonged to the voice. It was  Sesshomaru , his brother. 

_ Why the hell is he here?  _

“Cocaine?” 

_ What? What is he talking about?  _

_ “ _ Are you out of your goddamn mind, Takahashi?!  ** Cocaine?! ** ” He felt a stinging sensation on his cheek,  instantly a hand flew up to nurse the wound. “Have you an ounce of self-respect?” 

_ Quite frankly, no.  _ Inuyasha thought as he rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands. “What are you rambling about?” 

“The fucking drugs.”  Sesshomaru said angrily, pushing  Inuyasha away from him.  Inuyasha felt his back come up against the glass wall of the shower. He watched while rubbing his head as  Sesshomaru shook off his arm, and rolled up the sleeves of his shirt. 

“What drugs  Sesshomaru ?”  Inuyasha muttered under his breath, finding his voice after what seemed like an eternity. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” he responded, earning another, much harder slap from his brother. “...what the fuck?” 

“You lied, little brother.”  Sesshomaru responded, as he crouched down to  Inuyasha’s level. He could usually sense a tinge of attitude in everything  Sesshomaru said to him, but today was different. There was anger, and hatred in his words. “Try again.” 

“I don’t know!”  Inuyasha yelled, his voice cracking slightly. He sighed as he tried to push himself up.  Sesshomaru placed a hand on his shoulder and pushed him down. “I don’t fucking know!” 

“You’re still lying,  Inuyasha .”  Sesshomaru said calmly, his usual stoic expression on his face. “Where is it?” He questioned again, squeezing his brother’s shoulder. “Where...did you hide it, Inuyasha.” 

“I flushed it down the toilet.” 

“When?”  Sesshomaru asked sternly, staring intently at  Inuyasha . He squinted his eyes slightly. 

They both knew they could still smell the drugs; its scent was undetectable to the human nose, but not to them.  Sesshomaru dared  Inuyasha to lie to him. He  _ dared  _ him. 

“I don’t remember.” 

“You don’t remember?”  Sesshomaru shot back quickly, nodding his head a little bit. “Okay.” He rose from his position, and adjusted his sleeves, stepping out of the shower. He glanced down at  Inuyasha , who sat in the corner of the shower, his back against the cool surface of the glass. He turned his back on him, and adjusted his shirt in the mirror. He pulled his hair up into a pony tail, and brushed away his bangs from his crescent moon marking, and sighed. “You have a few hours to sleep before we leave for Vegas.” He threw over his shoulder, and adjusted his suit jacket. 

“Oh, by the way.” He turned back to  Inuyasha , watching as he stumbled over to the toilet, vomiting into the bowl. He walked over to him, and crouched down to his position. “Because of  Miroku and I working  _ tirelessly  _ over the past few days to  _ fix your mistakes  _ we managed to only lose two of your deals. Two. So, the next time I here that you want to ‘feel something’ try feeling fucking appreciative. Of what you have, and the people who have sacrificed  _ everything  _ for you to be in this apartment.” With that,  Sesshomaru was gone. 

Inuyasha was gone too, just in a different way. Tears streamed down his face as he felt his body heave, expelling the liquid contents of his stomach. He coughed, and groaned, only to feel his body heave and shiver again a few moments later. “Fuck...” he cried to himself, taking a deep breathe, “you, Sesshomaru.” He sighed after a few minutes, feeling that his stomach had finally purged itself of the alcohol. He pulled himself up to his feet, and walked slowly toward the kitchen, dragging a hand across the wall behind him. Once reaching the kitchen, he opened the fridge, and noticed the empty spot where his beer was usually stored. He opened the freezer compartment and noticed that all of his vodka had been wiped away as well. Frustrated, he slammed the doors of the refrigerator shut. 

He screamed. 

He let himself give into the force of his emotions, swiping away anything that was on his kitchen counters. Falling to his knees, he bent forward in his spot pressing his fists into the cold of the stone floor. “Dammit!” He yelled into the empty walls of his apartment. “Damn it all!” He screamed, punching into the floor. “I...” He started saying, choking on his words. He sat back on his knees, pressing his hands against his mouth, sobbing silently. 

He sat there, in that position for a while, letting himself cry. His emotions came to him in waves, and each time he let himself give into them, perhaps more than he had let himself in the past. Finally, he found the strength to push himself up from his spot on the floor, and trudge over to the couch, slowly letting himself lay down. 


	16. "Last-Minute Changes"

“There have been some last-minute changes.” The voice on the phone says, nervously. This prompts Inuyasha to glance up from the phone in his hand toward Miroku and Sesshomaru who stopped their conversation with Kagome, Sango and Rin. They glanced between each other before glancing back at Inuyasha. He stood in the middle of the large locker-room, a perplexed yet intrigued expression on his face. He cleared his throat. 

“I’m sorry,” Inuyasha responded, slightly annoyed. “Last-minute changes?” 

“Yes.” The voice confirmed, there was a pause and then the man spoke again. “To the fight.” 

“To the fight?” Inuyasha repeated, scrunching up his face at the phone. “What kinda changes are we talkin’ about?” There was a notable aggressiveness in Inuyasha’s voice. Miroku turned in his spot to face Inuyasha’s direction. Nearby, Myoga furrowed his eyebrows at Inuyasha. “Well?” He was growing impatient. The fight wasn’t going to happen until another three hours or so. So, what could they have _possibly_ changed in such a short amount of time? 

The Venue? 

“Your opponent...Inuyasha Takahashi.” The voice said slowly, cautiously, as if they were well aware of the half-demon's temperament. Inuyasha growled lowly as she stared down at the phone in his hands. He glanced back up toward Miroku, noticing Kagome peeking shyly over his shoulder, her head tilted as if to ask what’s going on. Golden eyes looked back down. Now he was irritated. 

“Can you stop toying with me and cut to the fucking chase? What exactly is going on?!” He tried his hardest not to raise his voice, but the emotions got the better of him and he found himself shouting at the man on the phone. Frightened, Sango grabbed onto Kagome’s forearm, who barely flinched at his sudden outburst, she was well accustomed to his ways. 

“Inuyasha.” There was a new tone of voice on the other end of the phone, a sternness that wasn’t previously existent. “Your opponent has been switched out, you are no longer fighting Naraku, that fight has been postponed indefinitely.” 

“Oh, you’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” Miroku breathed, rubbing the back of his head, his free hand shoved into his pant pocket. Sesshomaru sighed beside him, shaking his head slightly. 

“Uh, pardon?” Inuyasha responded, disbelief lacing his voice as he blinked at the phone screen a few times. Had he heard correctly? It was cancelled. He chuckled a little bit, then spoke. “Nononono, sir I think you’re mistaken. I’m fighting Naraku _today_ not sometime in the future.” He said, smirking slightly. _This is a fucking joke,_ he thought. 

“No sir. Executive orders. Your fight is paused indefinitely. New details will be emailed to you and your teams tomorrow morning.” The man on the phone said, inuyasha could detect a hint of annoyance in his voice. His ears flickered as he sighed heavily, throwing his head back and closing his eyes. “Takahashi?” 

“Yes?” Inuyasha responded, exasperated as he moved from his spot, taking a seat. “Who’s my opponent tonight then?” There was a rustling of papers on the other end, and the slight clicking of a tongue as the man fingered through the list of fights and fighters happening during the month, his nail trailing down the master list as he landed on the current fight date, he tapped on the picture next to Inuyasha’s name 

“Ah, Today....Inuyasha Takahashi versus Naraku Nakamura....subbed by... Izumo.” Inuyasha looked at his phone in confusion and waved his hand, as if dismissing the comment. 

“Will payment be the same? Is it the same bonus for winning?” 

“I suspect so...the fight is still very much high profile. A last-minute change won’t affect the views and pay much. People pay good money to see you fight, Inuyasha.” 

“Okay...” inuyasha responded his voice trailing off. “Thank you, bye.” With that he hung up the phone and looked around the locker room. “What the FUCK!” He screamed, jumping up from his chair, he threw his phone across the room, watching as the edge of the otter box case hit the brick wall hard, and ricocheted off of the wall, falling with a thud to the ground. “This is some bullshit!” 

“Calm down, Inuyasha.” Sesshomaru said calmly to his brother, his usual stoic expression on his face. “I am quite sure that this is purely a publicity move.” Sesshomaru added, rolling his shoulders. Miroku nodded from beside him. 

“Indeed...Inuyasha it is purely a publicity stunt. They want to build up the hype for the fight. It's quite possible that viewing numbers were nowhere near as much as they wanted them to be.” Seeing that the half-demon wasn’t calming down he added, “it could also be because of the charity fight.” 

“The fight at the charity event had nothing to do with tonight.” Inuyasha grumbled as he walked around in a circle, holding his arms together on top of his head, his silver hair that usually trailed down his waist in two braids behind his ears, now reaching a much shorter length of mid-back. 

Kagome took a sip of her drink, and then set it down on the table of snacks, food and drinks. “I beg to differ.” She chimed, wedging herself between Miroku and Sesshomaru. Inuyasha glanced over at her, looking at her up and down before turning his eyes back toward the blinding LED light. Kagome placed a hand on the hip of her black, skin tight dress. The deep v cut allowing for her golden body chain to be visible. She pressed one hand into the crook of her neck, dragging her fingers softly against the diamond choker inuyasha had gifted her for the charity event. She loved it so much she decided to just buy it on his card. He never complained when he received his statement, so she could only assume that he was okay with the purchase. “The charity fight could have very well raised more interest in the fight, not lowered it. Everyone wants to see disputes settled in the ring. What I think happened is that Naraku got embarrassed that he got his ass handed to him on a silver platter...so he bitched out.” She looked at Inuyasha, a knowing look in her eyes. She watched as inuyasha’s attentions turned back toward her, a small smile creeping onto his lips. 

“I have no idea what happened that night,” Sango said, as she peeked over Sesshomaru’s shoulder with Rin. “But I absolutely agree on the fact that Naraku is a bitch.” 

“I second that.” Rin said, calmly, offering a small reassuring smile at Inuyasha. She moved away from behind Sesshomaru, approaching Inuyasha. “Look...they’re a nobody. You’re fine. Go get your hands wrapped, do a little practice to blow off steam and go kick some motherfucking ass, Inuyasha. Naraku bitched out.” Rin said, slapping her hands against his chest. “Go!” 

“But I _really_ wanted to knock him the fuck out today.” Inuyasha groaned, looking at Rin. 

“Inuyasha,” Kagome sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “We’re telling you he bitched the fuck out! Stop being a whiny little bitch, get yourself together and go kick that man’s ass.” Her brown eyes met Inuyasha’s golden eyes, as she glared at him, refusing to advert her gaze. “Go, dog boy.” 

“You’re the absolute worst person.” Inuyasha grumbled at her, squinting his eyes at her slightly. “Every day you surprise with how much of a bitch you can actually be.” 

“The same fucking goes for you.” Kagome spat back, looking at the man up and down. 

“Can we save this energy for later or some shit please?” Miroku spoke up, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Inuyasha you need to get yourself ready, Kagome you need to stop provoking his temper.” 

“Just getting him fired up for the fight.” She shrugged, a hint of playfulness in her eyes. 

“You’re getting him fired up at the wrong person.” Rin said, moving back to her spot next to Sesshomaru. Kagome threw up her hands in defense. 

“Well, _sorry.”_ She said, through gritted teeth as she turned back toward Sango, who glared at Kagome. Kagome rolled her eyes, as she went back to her drink, taking a sip. 

“Can’t wait to get this bitch out of my hair.” Inuyasha uttered, turning on his heel toward Myoga who was beginning to grow impatient, waiting for Inuyasha to go back to focusing on getting ready. 

“I heard that!” Kagome called from her spot next to Sango, who quickly pinched Kagome’s hip with her fingernails. “Ouch!” 

“Good!” Inuyasha threw over his shoulder, “feh! You think I care what you heard me say?!” 

“You know what...” Kagome said, gingerly placing down her cup. Sango grabbed her by the shoulders and forced her into a seat as Sesshomaru calmly said ‘enough’. “No! I’m tired of his stupid little attitude.” 

“And he’s tired of yours, Kagome.” Miroku said, defending Inuyasha. Inuyasha smirked in response, causing Myoga to pull tightly at the bandage he was using to wrap Inuyasha’s hands. “Can you two keep your relationship troubles to yourselves for one night? Like actually? I’m tired of having to police you two. It’s like every encounter you guys have is gonna end in blows.” 

“Huh?” Rin interjected, blinking as she looked between Inuyasha and Kagome. “Um, it’s none of my business...really. But maybe.... just _maybe_ you two shouldn’t be together?” 

“You don’t think we know that?” Kagome and Inuyasha replied simultaneously. Rin laughed nervously as she scratched at the side of her head. 

_No, you guys have NO idea._ Rin thought to herself, leaning her head onto Sesshomaru and sighing. Sesshomaru merely glanced down at her, giving her hand a slight squeeze. 

It was quiet for a few moments, save for Inuyasha whistling as Myoga wrapped his hands. Kagome, Sango and Rin conversed quietly with Inuyasha’s sparring partners. Every once in a while, one of the women would giggle. And every once in a while, Miroku and Inuyasha would glance wearily in the direction of the group conversing, wondering what the two silent men could possibly be saying to make those women laugh, however neither men dared to disturb their conversation, knowing that eventually it would just turn into another session of Kagome and Inuyasha being nasty toward each other. Or at least, Miroku was well aware of that possibility, Inuyasha was just taking note of how many drinks Kagome had had. 

“Geez, someones a heavy drinker.” He whispered to himself as he leaned against the wall. Then he chuckled to himself, seeing the irony in what he was saying. He decided against doing some practice for this fight. The man he was up against was nowhere near his equal, seeing as Inuyasha hadn’t even heard of him. He figured it wasn’t worth it to waste his energy doing any practice. He could save that energy for going out after. “Uh can we go out tonight?” Inuyasha asked, an open question to the group. “I mean we don’t have to I just felt like tonight would be a quick fight so...” his voice trailed off as he turned his nose up, trying not to seem like he wanted to hang out. 

“Seems good.” Miroku said, as he turned his head to Sango. “Babe?” 

“Yeah.” Sango said, nodding her head. “Kagome and I are up for it.” 

“I’m not.” Sesshomaru said, yawning. He stretched his arms. He didn’t quite understand how his brother could keep up with this tiring, fast paced life style as well as he could. It could just be that Sesshomaru was growing tired...he was thirty-two years old after all. “Rin may join if she likes.” Rin shrugged her shoulders in response. 

“Inuyasha?” There was a soft knock at the door, “ready?” 

“Yeah.” Inuyasha responded, and motioned for Sesshomaru and Rin to leave the locker room. He waved at them as they left the room. 

“Kick some ass, little brother.” 

“Will do.” Inuyasha replied, as he put in his mouthguard. 

Inuyasha took a deep breathe to calm his nerves, and shook his hands before he walked out of the door behind Myoga. Kagome following behind him as Miroku and Sango hung behind the group. It didn’t matter how many times he took that brisk walk to the octagon; he was nervous every time. He couldn’t help it; it was instinct at this point. He briefly looked over his shoulder to Kagome, who could hardly contain the giddy excitement she felt. Behind her, he could see Miroku whispering in Sango’s ear, and Sango turning her face away from him blushing. _Yuck,_ he thought rolling his eyes, _relationships seem super overrated._ The roar of the crowd was growing louder and louder, and he found himself flattening his ears against his head, wincing slightly as he heard the chant of his name. He forced down the small smile that threatened to tug at his lips. He gave Kagome a quick hug, chuckling slightly at the whistles and cat calls that emerged from the crowd. 

“Good luck!” Kagome called to him, as she was taken to her seat by Miroku. 

“I won’t need it!” Inuyasha called back, laughing. 

And it was true, he wouldn’t need it. He saw the frightened expression on his new opponent's face as Inuyasha stretched in his side of the ring. He saw him swallow hard, and glance back toward his trainer. He chuckled, “you scared or something, bro?” There was a hint of playfulness in Inuyasha’s voice as he spoke—he even blew a kiss to his opponent. “Aw, don’t worry baby I'll be quick, you won’t even know what hit you.” Inuyasha said, as the referee explained the rules to them. They briefly touched gloves. Almost immediately, Inuyasha started delivering blows aggressively onto Izumo, bullying him into a corner, his back against the cage. Izumo ducked under Inuyasha’s arm, fleeing in another direction. “Where ya goin?” Inuyasha teased, turning on his heel. He let his arms go limp, in order to invite Izumo into his space. _C’mon,_ Inuyasha thought, growling lowly under his breath, _come here already!_

Izumo approached, and Inuyasha quickly took that opportunity to shift his body weight, ducking under the jab that Izumo threw his way. He wrapped his arm around Izumo’s neck, hit Izumo in the back of the knee with his own, causing Izumo to fall to his knees. Inuyasha swiftly lowered himself down to his knees as well, tightening his grip around Izumo’s neck. He felt him scratch at his neck, and then he felt three forceful taps on his forearm, and then another forceful slaps on the mat of the octagon. Inuyasha felt someone pulling him away from the man, at which point he released Izumo from his grasp, his body falling forward. He stood, and smiled down at his opponent, watching as he withered on the mat of the octagon, coughing, and spitting out blood. “I told you I'd be quick, not merciful.” Inuyasha said, chuckling. He was pulled away from Izumo by security guards, and led into the middle of the octagon. His hand raised by the referee as he announced Inuyasha (expectedly) as the winner. He watched out of the corner of his eye as Miroku helped Kagome up the steps to the octagon, and as Kagome made her way through the security guards to be at Inuyasha’s side, planting a kiss on his jaw. ‘Wow a little forward, there aren’t we?” Inuyasha asked, looking down as he grinned at her. He laughed slightly as he looked around the arena, hearing the hollers and whistles from the people around him. It still baffled him that so many people came out to see him fight. He remembered when the only people there were Myoga and Miroku. He answered a few questions, before leaving the octagon, linking his arm with Kagome’s. “What was that back there?” 

“That was me doing what I’m being paid to do.” Kagome responded, through gritted teeth as they met up with the rest of the group. Inuyasha shrugged his shoulders nodding. 

“Fair enough.” He responded, smiling as he gave Miroku and his brother side hugs. He hugged Myoga and his sparring partners and gave Rin and Sango high fives. “Sorry girls,” he said, “I wouldn’t want to get you all sweaty.” He turned his attentions back to Kagome, as they walked toward the locker room for him to change. There would be no press conference tonight, as his opponent was too banged up to go to one today. He would admit that he was guilty of often beating his opponents so badly the press conferences have to be called off. But it was _totally_ not because he hated speaking in front of people and would do anything within his power to avoid it. “Kagome...” he started, cautiously, gently patting the hand that dangled around the crook of his elbow. 

“Yes?” Kagome responded, smiling to herself, slightly out of loop. She giggled as she reached for his ears, and he gently lowered her arm, shaking his head as she frowned at him. “Why?” 

“No touching.” He said, sighing heavily. “Kagome are you okay? Did you have too much to drink?” 

“Me? Too much to drink? Nonsense!” Kagome said, laughing. “What makes you think that?” 

“I don’t know just a hunch.” Inuyasha said nonchalantly, shrugging his shoulders. “Hey what about you don’t go out with me tonight? Go to the room and get some rest, yeah?” 

“You’re fucking funny if I'm gonna miss a chance to party with a winner! Whoo! That’s what I'm talkin’ ‘bout baby!” Kagome exclaimed, raising her arms as she walked with Inuyasha to the locker room. Inuyasha laughed nervously as he looked around them, seeing that the rest of the group was far away from them, and engaged in their own conversation, he led Kagome down a darkly lit hall, only stopping when he was sure they were out of range from the group. “Hey, where are we?” 

“You need to go home. You’re drunk. You aren’t going anywhere with me. Got it? I'm not babysitting you.” Inuyasha said lowly. He gently pushed Kagome away as she leaned into his face. “Please don’t do that.” 

“Ahaha, who said you were gonna babysit me? I’ll blend righttttt in.” Kagome said, stumbling back in her heels slightly. Inuyasha quickly pressed a hand into her lower back, stabilizing her. “Oh, whoops, I almost fell.” Kagome giggled, pressing a hand into her cheek. 

“You’re really...really drunk, Kagome.” Inuyasha said, a worried look in his eyes. “You should really go home. I’ll have you go to the hotel with Sesshomaru and he can make sure you get into our room safely, okay?” 

“But I don’t want to go home.” She pouted, stomping one of her heels. “I wanna go party.” She whined, Inuyasha grumbled under his breath and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I wanna go party with you.” She pleaded, batting her eyelashes at Inuyasha. 

Inuyasha knew that he couldn’t resist when a woman batted her eyelashes at him. He always had a weak heart when it came to the women in his life. He sighed and rolled his eyes, turning her on her heel and walking with her back to the main hallway. “Okay fine...you can come.” 

“Yay!” Kagome celebrated, smiling as she shimmied her shoulders. Inuyasha chuckled, shaking his head at her reaction. “You’re kinda cute when you laugh, ya know that?” Kagome added, smiling over her shoulder at the tall half demon. He scoffed at her, making a disbelieved expression. 

“Yeah sure.” He replied. “You’re just drunk.” 

“Maybe.” Kagome responded, “maybe it’s Maybelline.” 

“Oh, my fucking god.” Inuyasha breathed, as they approached the locker room. He opened the door and let Kagome walk in before him. 

“Oh, hi guys!” Kagome said, smiling as she waved at everyone in the room. Sesshomaru and Myoga having left to the hotel—opting not to go out. Inuyasha walked in after her, raising an eyebrow as Miroku glared at him. 

“Wha...how’d you guys get here before us?” 

“Because we didn’t take a thirty-minute detour.” Sango responded dryly, raising an eyebrow at the half demon. 

“First of all, it’s nothing like that.” Inuyasha started, waving his hands in front of his face. He noticed that the faces in the room quickly seemed unconvinced with his defense. “Second, I was trying to talk her out of going out with us tonight. In case you all haven’t noticed, she’s had quite a lot to drink.” He turned toward Sango, glancing behind her. “What’d she have?” 

“I don’t know? Half a bottle of hennessy?” 

“Miroku, uh whenever you find the time can you please please please inform all the venues, I go to...to _not_ supply full bottles of henny? Really don’t like ending my nights babysitting someone.” Inuyasha said, as he made his way to the bathroom, duffle bag in tow. 

“Funny, I could say the same thing about a certain person we both know.” Miroku responded quickly, making Inuyasha stop in his tracks and squint his eyes at Miroku, half of him was shocked Miroku would throw such a low blow in public, the other half of him knowing fully well what was going to be coming his way once they were back in New York. Neith half of him enjoying being put on the spot so suddenly. He felt Kagome push him in the direction of the bathroom to no avail. “I’m going...” He said lowly, shouldering off her hands as he went into the bathroom. 

“Who, Miroku?” Rin asked, tilting her head. 

“Oh no one.” Miroku replied, his line of sight still directed toward the bathroom. He heard the shower turn on, and watched as Kagome made her way toward Sango, starting a conversation with her. “Just an old friend of ours.” He added, snapping out of his trance as he adjusted his suit jacket. Rin narrowed her eyes at Miroku, but nodded in understanding nonetheless, not wanting to push the issue. 

Inuyasha emerged from the bathroom fully dressed, drying his hair with a towel. He combed through it with his fingers, and then flipped his hair forward, gathering it up in his hands before putting it all in a bun. He walked back to the bathroom, picking out the shorter tuffs of hair that he knew would just fall out of the bun on their own. He fingered through his bangs before coming back out of the bathroom one last time. He ditched the suit jacket, opting to go for a more casual look, his sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, and the top few buttons of his dress shirt were left undone. 

“inuyasha don’t you have a girlfriend?” Renkotsu, his sparring partner questioned. Inuyasha glanced in his direction. 

“Pfft no- I MEAN yeah, yeah. Kagome, duh.” He said, scratching behind his head. 

“So why are you going out looking like a full course meal?” He asked, causing Miroku and Sango to snicker. 

“Because I can? And also, because it doesn’t matter what I wear, I look damn good in it.” Inuyasha responded. 

“Quite.” Miroku added, “alright well let's go.” 

“Whoo!” Inuyasha celebrated, causing Kagome and Sango to startle out of their conversation. “Let’s go baby!” 


	17. "Make it Make Sense"

There was a pounding in her head that wouldn’t subside as Kagome reluctantly turned in her bed, trying her hardest to go back to sleep. The events of the night were hazy almost immediately after the fight. Which she would admit was the most explosive two minutes she had ever seen. She groaned again, pulling the extra pillow on the bed onto her face, pressing it into the pillow, trying to drown out the natural sunlight that streamed into her room through the curtains. Kagome groaned at the sound of a voice, and she lifted her hand, waving it in the air. “No.” She responded, her voice muffled through the pillow, “leave me alone. My head hurts.” 

“It’s called a hangover.”  Inuyasha said, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Would you mind getting up?  Miroku somehow landed us a thing on some YouTube channel. Like a twenty-one questions type of thing. We’re supposed to be in Los Angeles in like three hours so if you could...ya know...get the fuck up?” 

“Fuck off.” Kagome said, giving  Inuyasha the middle finger.  Inuyasha rolled his eyes as he leaned in the doorway of her room, shoving his hands into the pockets of his back jeans. “My head hurts so much.” 

“You have a hangover.”  Inuyasha repeated, looking at the watch he had on his wrist. “We have to go, Kagome, get up, get ready, c’mon.” he said, pushing up the sleeves of his red baseball shirt as he approached the bed. One of his hands grabbed onto the heavy duvet cover, throwing it off of Kagome. He watched as she cuddled into herself, refusing to get up.  Inuyasha grumbled, gently tugging at one of her arms, her body dragging lifelessly after it. 

“I feel like I’m  gonna puke.” Kagome muttered under her breath, as she sat up in the bed.  Inuyasha quietly stepped away from the bed, preferring to hang out on the other side of the nightstand. She covered her mouth as she swiftly got out of the bed, running on her tip toes to the bathroom and shoving her face into the toilet bowl.  Inuyasha scrunched up his nose and winced as he heard the all too familiar cry of someone spewing the entirety of their stomach contents into a toilet bowl. After all, he had done that mere days before. He also knew how annoying it was getting vomit in your hair, so as reluctant as the half-demon was, he pushed himself off of the wall and walked into the bathroom, taking a handful of Kagome’s hair in his hand. “Thank you.” Kagome breathed between gasps for air, and then her body shivered and she shoved her face back into the toilet. 

“Yep...”  Inuyasha responded plainly, eyes turned up to the ceiling. “Don’t mention it.” After a few minutes, Kagome’s body went limp, as she turned in her spot, her back against the toilet seat.  Inuyasha let go of her hair, crossing his arms as he looked down at the pathetic state of the woman before him. He fought down a smile. “You feel any better?” 

“Yeah.” Kagome said, taking in a deep breathe. “My head still hurts.” 

“It’ll go away soon.”  Inuyasha said, and cleared his throat as he played with his watch, neither of them sure of what to say. “You should probably...” his voice trailed off. 

“Yeah.” Kagome said, as she got up slowly. “Right I should probably...” 

“Shower....get ready.”  Inuyasha said, turning to leave the bathroom. 

“Right! Yeah...shower....get ready. With you...” 

“Excuse me?”  Inuyasha turned his head in her direction, ears pointed alerted at her.  _ Did I hear her correctly?  _

“Nothing!” Kagome exclaimed; her eyes widened as she realized exactly what she had said. It hadn’t meant to come out, honest! It was an afterthought, a painfully embarrassing one that caused her to have rose colored cheeks and cover her face with her hands like an embarrassed teenage girl. “Absolutely nothing! I’m  gonna get ready now!” She said quickly, as she pressed her hands into his back, attempting to move the man out of her bathroom. But he was a rock. She looked down to see if his feet had even budged but he didn’t even seem to be moving. “I said go!” 

“Alright, alright,” He moved one foot forward, “I’m going. Don’t get your panties in a twist, woman.” 

“Don’t call me woman!” Kagome exclaimed now trying to use her shoulder to move the half-demon out of the bathroom. “You’ve got your own bathroom in your own side of this hotel room go hang out in your own.” 

“Don’t call me dog boy and I won’t spend my days trying to annoy you!” 

“You annoyed me first!” Kagome said, through her forceful attempts at getting  Inuyasha out of her bathroom. There wasn’t much progress that she could expect to make pushing him out. After all the dude was practically 90 percent muscle, and a  hanyou to boot. “Now get out!” 

“Okay hold on.”  Inuyasha said, turning on his heel, his hands quickly shooting up to grab Kagome by her elbow. “ _ I _ annoyed  _ you _ first? You’re the one who got black out drunk and that I had to  _ carry  _ into the hotel because you were too drunk to function for yourself. I held your hand the entire time we were at that club because I didn’t want you to wander off and get kidnapped or something! I babysat your ass for pretty much the whole night after the fight!” 

“You did that because you wanted to, no one told you to! You could’ve sent me home with  Sesshomaru !” Kagome yelled back, glaring up at  Inuyasha . She straightened herself and tore her arms out of  Inuyasha’s grasp. “You didn’t have to deal with me!” 

“You  _ begged me  _ to come with!”  Inuyasha yelled back furrowing his eyebrows. “The  ** fuck  ** am I supposed to say to that?”

“No!” Kagome yelled back, a bewildered look on her eyes. “It’s that simple N-O. No! You could have easily said you’re sending me home either way and that you don’t  wanna deal with me being drunk!” Frankly, she didn’t remember ever  _ begging  _ to come with  Inuyasha . She didn’t even remember the majority of last night. 

“You guilt tripped me!” He yelled back turning his hands in, pointing at his chest. “You made me feel bad if I said no!” 

“I never guilt tripped you!” Kagome yelled back, mimicking his motions. “I don’t guilt trip people!  So you’re fucking lying. You could have said no!” 

“Don’t fucking call me a liar.”  Inuyasha said darkly, lowering his voice. He pointed a clawed finger at her, narrowing her eyes. “You got that? I don’t like it.” 

“I don’t guilt trip people,  Inuyasha ! I didn’t  guilt trip you into letting me tag along! That’s pathetic!” 

“You were fucking pathetic last night Kagome! I had to tell  Miroku to let venues know not to supply full bottles of Hennessy because of you!”  Inuyasha pointed out, shifting his pointed finger from Kagome to the doorway. “And you did guilt trip me, what the hell am I supposed to say to you when you repeatedly asked to come along! You would’ve cried! Women like you cry at shit like that! I don’t like seeing girls cry!” 

“Who’s fucking fault is it that you think me asking a lot is guilt tripping? It’s yours!” Kagome followed  Inuyasha as he moved to leave the bathroom, crossing into her bedroom. “And women like me?  So, we’re  stereotyping now?!” 

“Kagome shut the fuck up!”  Inuyasha yelled back, turning on his heel. “I’m sick of all your bullshit and we’ve only been together for two and a half months, I'm fucking done!” 

“You can’t break up with me, we aren’t even together!” 

“No!”  Inuyasha yelled back, pressing his finger into Kagome’s chest, “I’m done with  _ you!  _ I’m done trying to be nice to you when you don’t even try to be nice back! I’m  _ tired  _ of being the one putting all the effort in!” 

“You put all the effort in?!” Kagome screamed, causing  Inuyasha to droop his ears, laying them against his head. “I’m sorry, who’s the one who’s still getting arrested left, and right?! Is there another  Inuyasha Takahashi as famous as you running around causing havoc?! This won’t fucking work until you get your act together  Inuyasha !” There was a moment in which Kagome realized that she may have gone too far. She noticed a change in the air around him, a slight tinge of sadness in his golden eyes. She swallowed a lump that was forming in her throat. “This situation isn’t easy for me.” 

“And you think it’s a fucking cakewalk for me?”  Inuyasha sneered, seething. His hands balled up in fists at his side. “Do you think everything is easier for me because I have money?” 

“Whoa,” Kagome said, raising her hands, “when did I  _ ever  _ say that?” She asked, irritated with his assumption. Of course, she knew it wasn’t easy for him. Here he was being forced to give his money, and share his life with a complete stranger for a year. It’s hard having to open the most intimate parts of your life...your finances with a complete stranger. She wouldn’t doubt that for a second. “This has nothing to do with money. I wasn’t saying that this situation wasn’t hard for you, either. But...my entire life as I know it has stopped for a year, and possibly the rest of my next few days. Because of you I’ve been thrusted into the public eye when I would have much rather lived quietly.” 

“You could’ve easily said no.”  Inuyasha responded. Kagome flinched, realizing that her words were coming back to her, and biting her hard in the ass. “Don’t blame me for the choices you decided to make.” 

“You think I expected  Miroku to say yes to me saying one million dollars as the  price point ?” 

“You’re guilt  tripping right now.” 

“I’m...not?” Kagome said wearily.  Inuyasha rolled his eyes at her. 

“You say you don’t guilt trip and yet you keep guilt tripping me. I hate people who lie.” 

“I don’t lie,  Inuyasha !” 

“I rest my case.” 

“ Inuyasha !” Kagome exclaimed, anger in her voice. “Can you stop being a dick for even a few seconds?!” 

“I’m not even being a dick; I'm pointing out the incongruity in your statements.” He said plainly, taking a deep breath. “Look just...go get ready.” He added, clearing his throat. Kagome watched as he left her room, letting the double doors of it slam shut behind him. She winced slightly at the sound of the doors slamming behind him, she heard a heavy sigh, and she quickly approached the doors, pressing her ear against it. She couldn’t hear much other than the telltale  _ pop  _ noise of a bottle being opened. 

“It’s so early.” She whispered to herself, pushing away from the door. She shook her head, “maybe I'm just...overthinking.” she muttered to herself, walking back towards the bathroom. 

_ And yet,  _ Kagome thought, running her hands over her hair as she showered, her eyes narrowed in the direction of her bedroom doors.  _ I can’t help but shake off the feeling that...it’s early.  _ She felt a twisting in her stomach, knots forming as her mind wandered, trying to think of other drinks...any other thing that would make the sound. As far as she knew no water bottles opened by pulling out a cork, she didn’t know of any carbonated drinks that we’re alcoholic that made that sound when opened. She fought against her instincts as she stood in the shower, letting the cool water hit against her back. There was sinking feeling in her gut as she remembered something  Inuyasha had said not too long ago. Something she had ignored, willingly. 

_ “I’m an alcoholic.” _

She ignored it. 

She thought it was a joke. Like how sometimes people joke about things with a straight expression and you’re left wondering if it was a joke...or if they were being serious. If she had  Inuyasha’s ears, they would be drooped right now. Then she shook her head. “No,” she said to herself, “I mean one alcoholic drink the morning isn’t like...bad. Right? I mean I've done it. It definitely wasn’t the  _ best  _ part of my life. Unquestionably was the lowest point of my life so far.” She shook her head sighing as she finished up her shower and brushed her teeth.

“Let’s go!”  Inuyasha’s voice called from outside her room. “We don’t have all day!” 

“Shut up! I just finished my shower!” Kagome hollered back, rolling her eyes as she stepped out of the shower, wringing out her hair. “Calm  down !” 

“Keh!” 

She sighed. It was becoming clearer and clearer that neither of them wanted anything to do with none another, and it wasn’t just becoming apparent to themselves, it was becoming apparent to those around them as well. She saw the worried glances  Sesshomaru and  Miroku shared as night as  Inuyasha and Kagome squabbled. She heard their conversation during the fight, worrying that this wasn’t working, what were they to do? Maybe switch her out? No that would give a bad impression on  Inuyasha . The last thing he needed attached to his name was womanizer. She pulled on a pair of black jeans, and put on a white dress shirt, loosely tucking it into her pants leaving it half unbuttoned. She slipped into her shoes, and threw her clothes into her duffle bag, and quickly gathered her things from the room. They wouldn’t be returning to Vegas. From Los Angeles they would be flying straight back to New York as soon as they were done filming the video for the YouTube channel. She heard banging on her door as she picked up her duffle bag and brushed her  hair, “ Would you calm down!” 

“We have to go!” It was a new voice this time,  Miroku . “C’mon Kagome!”

“I’m coming!” She replied, rolling her eyes.  _ Geez, these men are impatient.  _ She opened the door, and  Miroku rolled his eyes, turning on his heel. “Okay let’s go.” 

“No, you two are going alone, I’m going back to New York with everyone else.”  Miroku said, glancing between  Inuyasha and Kagome. “I don’t have to be there for this,  ya know.” 

“Are you serious?”  Inuyasha said, as he took the keys to the rental car  Miroku rented for them to take, “C’mon man, you can’t just leave us to crash and burn.” 

“No, we literally may crash and burn if it’s just the two of us in that car.” Kagome said, a pleading look in her eyes. “Look we aren’t really on speaking terms right no--” 

“We never have been.”  Inuyasha interjected.  Miroku raised his hand, seeing as he knew this would end in another argument. 

“I don’t want to hear it.”  Miroku said, “I called the magazine, they said it was fine, so long as you got there before 6 pm. The quicker you guys get on the road and make that road trip, the quicker you’ll both get to go home to your apartments and not speak to each other for as long as you shall please.” 

“Fine.” Kagome grumbled. 

“Now give me your bags.”  Miroku said, extending his hands, motioning for them to give him their bags.  Inuyasha handed him his red duffle bag, while Kagome handed him her pink one. She adjusted the  cross-body purse she had on, and crossed her arms. “Good. I'll make sure these get to your apartments safely.” 

“Mhm.” 

“Yup.” 

Giving one final glance between the two  Miroku left, closing the door to the hotel room softly behind him.  Inuyasha’s ear flickered in the direction of the door, and he crossed his arms, staring at Kagome. Kagome did the same. 

There was tension. Nothing sexual, no lust...it was just tense. It was clear that neither party wanted to address the bitter argument that happened before  Miroku arrived. It was clear that  Inuyasha was irritated to no end by Kagome, and she of him. She glanced over at the kitchenette, noticing an empty wine glass, and a bottle of wine. Her eyes darted back to  Inuyasha . “Were you drinking?” She asked, watching his reaction closely. He tensed up, clenching his jaw as he adverted his gaze. Kagome squinted at him, waiting for his response. Of course, she knew the answer already, it was evident. She just wanted to see if he would lie. 

And. .. Man would he lie. 

“No.” He said, a tinge of annoyance, arrogance in his voice. She raised an eyebrow. “That’s from last night. I couldn’t sleep so had some wine and watched a few  YouTube videos...that’s all.” 

_ Oh,  _ Kagome thought,  _ he’s good.  _ “Well alright then.” She responded wearily, clearing her throat as she looked at her phone. “Are we just...not going to talk about wat happened earlier.” 

“No.”  Inuyasha responded, turning on his heel to leave the suite, Kagome followed closely after him. “I’m not apologizing for a damn thing.” 

“And I’m not asking you to.” Kagome shot back, slightly irritated. She watched as he pressed the button to call the elevator. “You don’t think we should talk about it? You think I assume your life is sunshine and lollipops because you have money. I don’t.” 

“Oh really?”  Inuyasha asked, raising an eyebrow at the woman. “I don’t remember that.” 

“You’re fucking  joking, right?” Kagome sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “I’m trying to be civil here.” 

“What’s the point it’s not going to work. We’re just going to go right back to bitching at each other.” He shrugged his shoulders, letting Kagome get into the elevator before him, adjusting the sunglasses that sat atop his head. 

“I know that  Inuyasha ...but what I'm suggesting is that we’d be much less likely to keep bitching at each other if we talked about what made us angry.” 

Inuyasha blinked...and then blinked again. He pursed his lips to fight down the laughter.  _ So... she thinks our problems can be fixed by just talking? The fuck is this? Therapy?  _ “Honey...our problems cannot be fixed by talking shit out.” He said, rubbing the tip of his nose with the knuckle of his finger. Kagome put her hands on her hips. “Sorry.” 

“Must you shoot down every single fucking option I bring up? You keep complaining about me not being nice to you and then when I am nice to you, you have a problem with it.”  Inuyasha looked away from her irritated. “Make it make sense,  Inuyasha .” There was silence as the elevator descended to the lobby, and an uncomfortable silence as they made their way to the car. Kagome figured that they would spend the four-hour drive from Las Vegas to Los Angeles in silence. That was fine by her, she didn’t really want to talk to  Inuyasha much anyways. She had her phone for entertainment, that would suffice her. She rolled her eyes internally as she heard the music get gradually louder, until she could barely hear her own thoughts.  _ Thank god I can read lips!  _ Kagome thought to herself, turning her body away from  Inuyasha . She knew that the only reason why he would turn the music up that loud is because he didn’t feel like hearing a damn thing, she would say to him for the next four hours. Quite frankly she didn’t want to hear a damn thing he said either. She wasn’t going to beg him to be respectful of her at least  _ attempting  _ to keep the little bit of peace they had between each other. The awkward respectfulness that they had after that kiss they had on the full moon had long, long gone. Within days of those events they were back to their old selves, ripping each other to shreds with their words. Kagome realized that since being around Inuyasha, she had grown to have a little bit of a backbone to herself. She stood up for herself more (especially against him), which was rare for her seeing as she was often the quiet friend who tended to be quite agreeable to everything...she was especially like that in high school. 

She chuckled to herself, trying to imagine the faces the people back home are making seeing her on tv, magazines, gossip channels. Granted it wasn’t by her own accord, but it was shocking to see someone so quiet and meek grace the front page of the internet out of nowhere, not only that, but that (to them at least) she had managed to bag Inuyasha, of all people. She had to admit, if anything was going to be rewarding from this experience it would be that. Imaging the faces of the people she hated the most, sitting in a bar on a dreary Saturday night, watching the “big fight” on the tv and spitting out their drinks when the camera pans to her face, smiling sitting front row. 

It was a thought that brought joy to her just thinking about it. 

\--

When they arrived at the studio where the video would be filmed,  Inuyasha felt his stomach do a turn as realization hit him. 

He didn’t know a damned thing about Kagome and she didn’t know a damn thing about him (besides whatever he had told her over dinner that one day). 

He squeezed her hand as they were led by an intern to where the video would film. “Kagome.” He whispered, looking down in her direction. Kagome breathed in heavily, looking away from him. “Kagome it’s urgent.” 

“Sorry,” Kagome said sweetly, causing the intern that was leading them turn their head, stopping in their tracks. “Can we have a moment? I remembered I have to tell him something, privately.” The intern blushed—assuming something else and quickly turned on their heel, ducking into a nearby room. “What is it?” Kagome huffed, placing a hand on her hip as she looked up at  Inuyasha , her wavy hair brushing gently against her forearm. 

“How am I supposed to answer forty-five questions about you and our ‘relationship’ when we don’t even know each other?” It was a genuine question, this Kagome could tell, but what she couldn’t tell was why the hell he was so worried. 

“We can lie.” She deadpanned.  Inuyasha raised an eyebrow. “Look, they aren’t going to know  what's true and  what's not. Answer the questions you do know honestly, the rest of them lie. Every once in a while, I’ll say you answered one wrong.” 

“Right...”  Inuyasha said, scratching the back of his neck. “That make’s sense.” Kagome nodded and turned on her heel, walking in the direction the intern went.  Inuyasha grabbed onto her forearm. “Can you stop being mad? I’m over it.” 

“I’m not.” Kagome responded, once again ripping her arm out of his grasp. 

“Kagome...” 

“ Inuyasha we have more issues than just talking about it can fix, don’t you think?” Kagome said, bitterly.  Inuyasha winced slightly at her words. “And stop acting like the victim...it’s unbecoming of you.” 

“What? I’m not acting like the victim.”  Inuyasha defended himself,  becoming irritated with the woman. Kagome rolled her eyes. “I’m not!” 

“Yes, you are.” Kagome replied calmly, not wanting to cause a scene in the middle of the large open space. She looked in the direction of the set, where two grey armchairs waited for them, with a table slightly behind them. On the table, a stack of cards laid in a neat pile. She bit her bottom lip as one of the staff members looked in their direction waving. “Look, I kind of don’t want to continue talking about what happened this morning so let’s pretend it never happened, alright? If you’re over it then I should be over it too.” Kagome said as she started in the direction of the set.  Inuyasha grumbled as he followed closely behind. 

_ The nerve of her!  _ Inuyasha thought as he sat down where they told him too, letting a team of women brush out his hair, adjust it just right.  _ Me? Acting like the victim?! She’s the one who just refuses to get over it talking about some she’s still not over it! Still not over it my fucking ass, she’s just being petty!  _ The women disbanded from around him and he waited in the chair, playing with the microphone clipped to his shirt. “Please don’t play with that.” One of the sound producers said, causing  Inuyasha to quickly let go of it. 

“Sorry.” He said awkwardly, squinting his eyes as the lighting was adjusted. He looked over to Kagome watching as she allowed her group of women to apply light makeup seeing as she hadn’t worn any, looking through the cards as she did so. For a brief moment,  Inuyasha thought about getting up and leaving. He hated being on video, which was ironic seeing as he loved being in the spotlight. Pictures he didn’t mind, but videos and public speaking were not his strong suite. Unless of course it was during or after a fight, that he was okay with. 

“Don’t be nervous.” He heard one of the staff members say, giving  Inuyasha smile. “You two are a very lovely couple, people will eat this stuff up.” 

Inuyasha gave them a crooked grin, “yeah,” he said laughing nervously, “thanks.” 

“I hope you’re ready to answer all these questions.” Kagome teased, winking at Inuyasha. 

“No, I'm not.”  Inuyasha said back, nervously. “I’ll be surprised if I pass.” 

“ Inuyasha !” Kagome exclaimed jokingly, “seriously?” 

“How about we film the intro first, take a little break and then start filming the actual video from there?” The person that was in charge asked,  Inuyasha nodded. “Cool, so the intro is just you both introducing yourselves, and then Kagome you can end it by saying ‘and we’re playing the GQ couples quiz’.” There was a small pause, and then a count down. Inuyasha spoke. 

“Hey what’s up?” He gave a small wave, “It’s Inuyasha.” 

“And I’m Kagome,” Kagome chimed in smiling to the camera, “today we’re going to see just how much  Inuyasha knows me by playing the couples quiz.” She turned to Inuyasha, smiling. “Are you ready?” 

“Let’s do it baby.” He responded, giving her a wink. 


	18. "Listen"

They hadn’t talked in days. Much less seen each other; both of them ignored Miroku and Sesshomaru’s texts, telling them they had to work something out. Both of them too stubborn and prideful to admit their wrongdoings. Arguments were always a two-way street, is what Miroku had told Inuyasha a day or two after returning from Vegas, as he nursed Inuyasha through another one of his hang overs. Inuyasha was reluctant to admit that perhaps his stupid, womanizing, friend was correct just this once. 

Maybe he had to suck it up and _listen_ to Kagome for once. 

_But in turn,_ he thought as he ran a hand through his hair, _she has to listen to me._ He wasn’t one to apologize first, much less apologize willingly. It wasn’t in his DNA. He sighed, pushing himself up from his couch and resolving to pay the girl a visit. It was a weekday afternoon, so he figured that she should be at her coffeshop. “A matcha latte does sound good right now.” He admitted to himself quietly as he walked into his closet and pulled on a white t-shirt, opting to keep his grey sweatpants on. Comfort was of the upmost importance, and besides, it wasn’t like he was going anywhere important. He briefly looked in the direction of the safe he hid behind a pile of sneakers and dress shoes, biting his bottom lip, contorting it to one side. He felt chills go up and down his spine, the hair on his nape raising. He could vividly remember his words. 

“ _I want to feel something.”_

_“The world is watching.”_

_“_ _the next time I here that you want to ‘feel something’ try feeling fucking appreciative. Of what you have, and the people who have sacrificed_ ** _everything_** _for you to be in this apartment.”_

He knew what was in there. And it _terrified_ him. It was enough to land him in jail for more than a few nights. Enough to be a felony. He shuddered at the thought of it, but shook his head. “As long as I forget it’s there...” his voice trailed off as he left the closet, closing the door softly behind him, as if the sound of the door closing would awake the white substance. _As long as I forget it’s there_ , Inuyasha thought, i _t_ _ain’t_ _botherin_ _’ anyone._

Except, perhaps, the authorities. 

He made his way into the kitchen and took his credit card and keys off of the table. He went over to the elevator and waited patiently for it to arrive to his floor. Meanwhile, he thought about what he would say to Kagome. This was the first time in years that he was going to willingly apologize to someone. He wasn’t exactly thrilled at the thought, but he figured if they were to ever get over this slump of theirs, one of them had to be the bigger person. He most certainly wasn’t going to let Kagome be the bigger person this time. 

Oh, hell no. 

As he entered the elevator, he was deep in thought, and he still was as he passed by the receptionist who attempted to get his attention about a package that had arrived for him. “Yeah, yeah, whatever.” he grumbled as he passed by her, waving his hand dismissively. 

“Mr. Takahashi...the car garage is the other way?” Kanna, the receptionist said, pointing back in the direction of the elevators. Again, Inuyasha waved his hand to her, dismissively. 

“Yeah, mhm. Thanks!” he threw over his shoulder, earning a small sigh from the receptionist. He walked straight through the open door, forgetting to thank the doorman. He had to make sure what he said was simple, straight to the point and concise. He wasn’t going to mince words. Not that he _did_ mince his words, he almost never did. It was just that he had a tendency to not articulate his thoughts as well as he’d like to most of the time. 

By most of the time, he meant all of the time. He managed to get his point across when it was most important though, which, up until now had been all he needed to get by in life. By the same token, up until now he had only extensively dealt with one woman. 

Kikyo. 

And she was _worlds_ different from Kagome. 

Kagome was, as he liked to call her behind closed doors: a bitch. Very plain, and very, very simple. She was rude, and combative and constantly trying to one-up him in some way. Her words always had the slightest hint of attitude, sometimes more than just a hint and it was almost always uncalled for. At least, he thought so. It wasn’t that he believed he was completely innocent on some occasions, sometimes he just didn’t want to deal with her bullshit and was mean on purpose. 

Most times that got him the exact opposite response (and yet he kept doing it). He had to let her know that he wasn’t going to put up with any disrespect from her, while also letting her know that he was willing to put aside what had happened in Vegas in order to settle their dispute. 

That counted as an apology...right? 

He wasn’t exactly sure what really constituted an apology besides an ‘I’m sorry’ thrown in somewhere in there. Most people ended up apologizing to him... 

“Hmph.” Inuyasha vocalized, bumping into someone. Instinctively, his hands reached toward the person, and then he looked up and was met with an extremely familiar, playful set of brown eyes, adorned by bangs. “Oh...” he said awkwardly, letting go of her arms. Kagome blushed, taking a step back from the half-demon, adverting her gaze. “I uh...” 

“No, you’re cool.” Kagome said, laughing nervously. “I was just on my way to um, central park.” 

“Central park?” Inuyasha questioned, his ears perking up at the sound of it. He wouldn’t admit it because it was cliché, but he loved central park. It was the one thing about New York that he truly thought lived up to the hype. “Alone?” He asked, arching an eyebrow. It wasn’t that he cared much, he just thought that parks were places that people went to in groups, or with a friend. The only people he saw in parks alone were old widowed men, or people with boring office jobs contemplating their life choices. He watched as Kagome warily nodded her head at him. “No need to get weird about it.” He snapped, grumbling. 

“Who said I was?” Kagome asked, furrowing her eyebrows. “I’m not being weird about it.” 

“The way you nodded your head at me...it was...like you were weirded out.” Inuyasha explained, slightly annoyed. “Why were you being so defensive about a simple question?” 

“I wasn’t being defensive.” Kagome responded hurriedly. Inuyasha took a deep breathe. He glanced around them and noticed that people were beginning to slow down, the commotion dying down slightly as people whispered among themselves and began to point, some taking videos or pictures of them. Inuyasha pinched the bridge of his nose. 

“People are watching, Kagome.” He said, and then took another deep breath as he prepared himself for what he was about to say. 

“Can we head to my place for a bit? We have to talk.” 

Kagome was taken slightly aback by his statement. He wanted to talk? It was bizarre of him, and she found herself speechless. “Uh, yes.” She sputtered, slipping her arm into the crook of his, letting him guide her back to his apartment building, which was a little ways up the block. She turned her face up to him, looking at him with a puzzled expression. She felt her heartrate speed up, as sudden dread filled her. _What if he knows...I know?_ She turned her face away from his, biting the tip of her thumb. _Shit!_

_“_ Why has your heartrate sped up?” Inuyasha looked down at the woman beside him, ignoring her face of surprise. “I can hear it.” he added, point to his ears with his free hand, his other hand in his pocket. Kagome looked away from the dog demon, biting her bottom lip, attempting to come up with a good excuse. 

“Sorry, I'm just not used to walking this quick.” 

“We aren’t walking that fast, Kagome.” Inuyasha retorted, scrunching up his face. “You’re a horrible liar.” 

“I’m just nervous about what we’re going to talk about.” Kagome said, as they reached the entrance of his apartment building. She thanked the doorman as he opened the door for them, before looking back toward Inuyasha. “I mean, you aren’t particularly the ‘talk things out’ type of guy so...” Her voice trailed off. 

“So, what you’re trying to say is you’re shocked I'm taking your suggestion?” Inuyasha asked, tilting his head in her direction, a small fanged smile on his face. “honestly wench? I just don’t want to give you the satisfaction of being the better person this time.” Kagome stopped in her tracks, glaring up at the half-demon as he stared down at her, blinking. “What’s the matter?” 

“So, this is all just about you wanting to be the bigger person?” Kagome asked, standing in the middle of the lobby. The receptionist pretended to busy herself by looking at something on the computer, secretly keeping an ear on the conversation. “Are you kidding?” 

“What’s so wrong about me wanting to be the bigger person this time?” inuyasha questioned, anger rising within him. _I’m like actually trying here and I'm STILL wrong somehow!_ Slowly, he was beginning to realize that their arguments were, in fact, not normal at all. It didn’t matter what their arguments were about it, sometimes it wasn’t even an argument. 

Sometimes it was simply just a conversation they would have _about_ a problem. And most times, without his ever realizing it, there was always going to be a loser. 

And, like most couples, fake or not. 

He was going to be the loser. Every. Single. Time. 

His ears drooped as sudden realization of that fact hit him, and his eyes glazed over, preparing himself for the tirade of insults and lecturing that he thought was inevitably going to come out of Kagome’s mouth. Except, it never did. This time Kagome chose instead to roll her eyes. 

“Ugh,” she said, “I can’t believe you.” She followed him to the elevators awkwardly waiting beside him as they waited for the elevator. “So...” she broke the silence. Inuyasha glanced in her direction, curious. “What exactly are we going to talk about?” 

Suddenly, everything he had thought of his mind was whooshed away in a matter of milliseconds as he attempted to condense it down to a simple phrase: 

“Vegas.” He responded plainly, earning a stern look from Kagome. “You need to get over it.” He added, Kagome sputtered. 

“I-I’m sorry...you...I’m....I need to get over it? You’re the one who hasn’t texted me in days!” Kagome whisper-yelled, not trying to cause a scene as they entered the elevator. She watched him press the button that lead to his penthouse. Kagome swiftly moved forward, pressing the stop button on the elevator, causing it to jolt and stop. 

“You haven’t either. I'm not the one completely to blame here.” Inuyasha grumbled, taking her finger off of the stop button. There was a delay, but the elevator started moving again, up toward his penthouse floor. “I’m tired of you acting all high and mighty.” He added lowly, crossing his arms. 

“And you don’t?” Kagome questioned, arching an eyebrow as she placed her hands on her hips, looking up at the tall half-demon. “Look me in the eyes and tell me you don’t act all high and mighty!” 

“Yamete.” Inuyasha grumbled, “stop it.” he translated. 

“I understood what you said.” Kagome responded hurriedly. “You don’t have to translate.” After a moment she said again, “so look at me in the eyes and tell me you don’t act all high and mighty.” 

“I-” the elevator door opened, he glanced in the direction of the open doors, watching at Kagome turned on her heel and walked into his apartment. He closed his mouth, growling lowly. “I don’t do it as often as you do.” He admitted, clearing his throat as he followed her to his living room. He vaulted himself over the couch, and sat cross legged in front of Kagome, who sat on the ottoman across from the coffee table. 

“But you still do it.” She pushed, wagging a finger at him. He rolled his eyes. “It wasn’t cool of you to throw your emotional baggage into the argument in Vegas.” 

Inuyasha snorted, scrunching up his face. “When the fuck did I do that?” 

“When you accused me of thinking your life is easy because you have money.” 

“I wasn’t throwing my emotional baggage at you.” Inuyasha defended, taking a deep breathe. Kagome sighed. 

“Yeah you were.” 

“No, I wasn’t.” He repeated, trying his best to keep his anger in check, Kagome frowned. 

“This is how our arguments always start.” She muttered, and there ws a pause on both sides as they looked away from each other, suddenly more interested in the black marble of his floor than discussing the events that happened in Vegas. It was clear to both of them that their communications were less than stellar, although that had already been established. “Look aren’t you...tired of fighting me on everything?” 

“I could ask you the same thing.” Inuyasha muttered back, raising his eyes from the floor back to Kagome, clenching his jaw as he swallowed. 

“Okay but I'm asking _you..._ right now. Aren’t you tired of fighting me on everything?” 

“But I don’t fight you on everything.” 

“inuyasha!” Kagome exclaimed, pinching the bridge of her nose. She took several deep breathes. “Inuyasha...why are you like this?” 

“Like how?” he questioned, tilting his head. Silver hair brushing against his knee. 

“So....short-sighted.” 

“Short...sighted?” He questioned, squinting his eyes at her. _They didn’t teach that in language school._

“Kokoronosemai.” Kagome said cautiously, earning a glare from the half-demon in front of her. She sighed. 

“I’m not narrow minded...I’m willing to listen.” He responded darkly. 

“Then _listen,_ Inuyasha.” Kagome responded softly, sighing. “I’m tired of fighting.” 

“Likewise.” inuyasha responded, clearing his throat. 

There was an awkward silence between them, as neither party had ever really reached an agreement with each other before. It was different, and they were taking time to consider what this meant for them moving forward. Inuyasha broke the silence this time. 

“So... are we done? With the fighting?” he asked cautiously, “Can we...restart?” 

Kagome looked at him cautiously, there was sincerity in his eyes. He seemed to actually _want_ to restart, but the comment he made in the lobby of his building still left a bad taste in her mouth. There was a sudden switch in him. How had he gone from only apologizing to spite her, to actually wanting to...restart? 

“I thought you were apologizing to spite me?” Kagome questioned, furrowing her eyebrows. Inuyasha scoffed. 

“Keh, I’m not apologizing.” He said, turning his nose up, and closing his eyes, but cracked one open. “I am doing this to spite you though.” 

“Don’t play games with me Inuyasha. You haven’t even asked me what you can do to be better.” 

“Well you haven’t fuckin’ told me, wench.” 

And....there went the olive branch he had extended. Tossed directly into the fire, perishing before his very eyes. Truth be told, it was his fault that this talk had quickly gone downhill. He couldn’t stop himself from being disrespectful. It should have been expected by Kagome, but it was still hurtful. 

“Alright.” She said, slapping her hands down on her thighs as she got up. “I’m done here.” 

“Hey wait!” Inuyasha said, watching her get up and walk toward the elevator. “Don’t just fuckin’ leave!” 

“Well you don’t even want to try!” Kagome shouted over her shoulder. “I _actually_ am willing to try to be civil with you! But you-you-you... **_you’re just a meanspirited, lowlife, inconsiderate, bastard who thinks everything is a fucking joke!”_ **

Inuyasha flinched. 

_Ouch._

That hurt...a lot. 

It was in that moment that both of them realized that their differences were irreconcilable. 

_Extremely_ irreconcilable. If they were married, this would be the defining moment of everything going downhill and resulting in a divorce. 

“I know...” Inuyasha said softly looking down. He couldn’t argue that she wasn’t right no matter how much it hurt him. He _was_ meanspirited, and inconsiderate, and a lowlife and a bastard and he did tend to think that everything was a joke. He heard the rapid thumping of Kagome’s heartbeat as she struggled to maintain her anger at him, taking shallow breathes. 

“I am _tired_ of always being the one who tries to make shit right between us.” Kagome hissed, her hands balled up in fists as her finger nails dug deep into her palms. “I am putting **my life** on _hold,_ for you. I, a complete stranger am putting my life on hold. Do you think your money is making this a fucking cakewalk for me? It’s not! My life is being made public because of you!” 

He could have sworn he heard her say those exact words to him at some point, he just couldn’t pinpoint when. His nose twitched as he smelled blood and his eyes shot up from where they were glued. “Kagome,” he said, getting up. “Kagome you’re bleeding.” He looked down at her balled-up fists, and before he knew it, he had closed the distance between them, taking her arm in his hand. 

She tore her arm away. 

**_“DON’T TOUCH ME!”_ **

**_“LET ME HELP YOU!”_ **Inuyasha yelled back, squeezing his hand around her arm. 

“You’re hurting me!” Kagome cried, to which Inuyasha let her go, bringing his hands to his mouth. 

“I’m sorry...I didn’t mean to.” he said softly, as Kagome brought a hand to her arm, rubbing it. She looked up at him angrily, before she looked down at her bloodied hand, and turned, walking to the elevator. He watched powerlessly after her, mentally kicking himself for ever hurting her. “I told her I wouldn’t hurt her...” he muttered to himself, rubbing his face with his hands as she entered the elevator, leaving his apartment. 

“Fuck.” He whispered to himself, dropping down to his knees. “Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck.” 

++++ 

Kagome could hardly believe what had transpired between them. The entire encounter was an intense, emotional rollercoaster that she desperately wanted to jump off of. She debated calling Miroku and telling him what happened, but she figured there was no need for such dramatics. She would be fine, her arm would bruise, for sure, but she would be fine after a few says. As for her hands, well, that was her fault entirely. She had gotten a bit too angry with the half-demon and dug her own nails into her palms. She took a moment once she sat down in the trail to take a deep breathe, making sure to keep herself calm. She wasn’t angry with him for hurting her, she understood it was an accident, she was more so disappointed in what happened before it escalated to that point. 

“Deep in thought huh?” She looked in the direction of the voice, and saw Kouga sitting next to her, giving her a small, fanged grin. 

“Oh, Kouga!” Kagome said in surprise, smiling. “I didn’t even notice you, I'm so sorry.” She said, smiling nervously at him. He waved his hand dismissively. 

“Don’t sweat it, sweetness.” He said, and then leaned in talking softly. “What happened?” 

“What?” Kagome questioned, blinking as she pulled away from Kouga. She winced at the sound of the trail shrieking against the rails. “What are you referring to?” 

“I can smell it, Kagome.” Kouga said seriously, his eyes flickered down to her hands, that laid on her lap. “And you seem stressed. Are you alright?” 

“Oh...” her voice trailed off as she looked down at her hands, turning them so she could see the little dents in her hands and the blood at pooled at them. “I’m alright Kouga.” She said, smiling. “I just got into an argument with Inuyasha is all.” 

“So, he fucking hurt you?” He said, gently taking her wrist in his hands and inspecting the injuries on her palms. “Did that half-breed do this to you?” 

“Hey!” Kagome said defensively, pulling her wrist away from Kouga. “Don’t call him that!” 

“Answer the question, babe.” Kouga pressed on, blue eyes filled with anger as he stared at Kagome. In his opinion, Kagome shouldn’t be running with that half-demon at all. He was a loose cannon, dangerous. 

And above all else he wasn’t particularly deserving of all the fame and attention he was getting. His eyes flickered down to her hands, and then trailed up her left arm, seeing a slight darkening of her skin color. It was subtle, a human wouldn’t have been able to tell the difference, but demons were different. “Did he...hurt you, Kagome?” 

There was a pause before Kagome spoke. She took time to consider what would happen should she decide to tell Kouga that yes, Inuyasha had hurt her although she understood that it was purely unintentional and a mistake on his part. She figured that he wasn’t going to listen much farther than the yes. So... 

“No.” Kagome said firmly, shaking her head. “He wouldn’t lay a finger on me.” 

But Kouga didn’t buy it. “Kagome...” he started, Kagome waved him off. 

“What are you doing on this train? Don’t you live in china town?” She asked, attempting to change the subject. Kouga frowned, but went along. 

“Eh, I used to. I moved to my own place...costs more money but my roommates were starting to annoy me.” He said, chuckling a little bit. 

“Ah I see.” Kagome replied, nodding her head. “You just needed your own place, then?” 

“Yeah...roommates aren’t really my thing.” Kouga responded. He let his eyes linger on her for a moment, still not buying her excuse. To him, Kagome seemed out of the loop, like the wind had been knocked out of her. A little scared as well. “Geez, whatever happened really spooked her.” Kouga whispered, just low enough for himself to hear. 

_Perhaps,_ he thought to himself, smiling, _I_ _oughta_ _pay the mutt a visit._

_See how things are going over in the Upper East Side._


	19. "Patience"

Kouga looked up at the flashy apartment building, as ivy vines twisted round the side of the stone base of the building. His eyes trailed down from the top floor, where he knew  Inuyasha lived. It was clear the old building had been upgraded and had more modern apartments built on top. Kouga shook his head, scoffing. “New money...” he muttered to himself, as he walked toward the door, retracting his hand as the doorman opened the door for him, his eyes flickering over Kouga’s body. “Can I help you?” he asked gruffly, glaring at him. The doorman simply grunted in response. Kouga grumbled and rolled his eyes as he walked over to the concierge, slightly taken aback by her extremely pale skin and white hair. He drummed his fingers against the granite of the counter as he waited patiently for her to get off of her phone call, eyeing the orchid on the counter. 

“How can I help you?” The concierge asked politely, to which Kouga beamed a charming smile, chuckling slightly. 

“Hey, sweetness. How ya’ been tonight?” He purred, still smiling at the woman. The woman smiled softly, glancing down to her hands. 

“I’ve been quite well.” 

“Good..good...hey I  gotta go up to see Inuyasha?” The woman squinted at him and he rolled his eyes. “Super attractive, very tall, buff guy.” 

“Ah,” she said, slightly embarrassed, “you mean to say Mr. Takahashi.” The woman purred, slightly blushing at the mention of his name. Kouga watched as she bent down and brought out a binder, she flipped through it. 

Internally, Kouga cursed as he strained his neck to catch a glimpse of the binder’s contents. He watched her stop at a picture of  Inuyasha , next to it his name and contact information were listed. She slid a manicured fingernail down the list of names. 

“Erm,” she glanced up at him, “What’s your name?” 

“Kouga...Wolf. I don’t think I should be in there, I’m an old... _ old  _ friend of his. I'm surprising him.” Kouga said, smiling as he looked down at the binder and then back at the woman. 

“That’s odd...it says here he doesn’t enjoy having surprise visitors.... usually he or Mr. Miroku call the office beforehand and inform us of any new people that we should expect to come through.” The woman says, and furrowed her eyebrows as she looked up to Kouga. “Are you sure he’ll take kindly to your visit?” 

“Positive.” Kouga said quickly, grinning. “We haven’t seen each other since he moved from Calabasas.” 

“Oh really? Calabasas...wow.” She responded, stammering. “I... I had no idea he used to live in Calabasas...I mean I knew he was wealthy, obviously...but...” 

“Oh yeah no... big, sprawling property. Don’t know why he chose to move from that to this,” Kouga joked, scratching the back of his neck. “Was an easier commute to his fights too but.... anyways,” He cleared his throat, “I’m  gonna head on up, you take care now!” Kouga threw over his shoulder as he walked away from the counter. She waved back, smiling at him.  _ That was way too easy,  _ Kouga thought to himself as he took a deep breath and called the elevator. He briefly looked over his shoulder and noticed the doorman stepped away from the door, and was now having a casual conversation with the concierge. He stepped into the elevator, and clicked his tongue as he searched for the penthouse button, finally finding it, he pressed it. Kouga felt anxiety rise in him, but also anger. 

_ How  _ **_ dare  _ ** _ he.  _

He knew Kagome was smaller than him, weaker...delicate. Her soft, olive skin should never be damaged, by  _ anyone.  _ At least, not while Kouga was around. The elevator dinged, allowing Kouga into the dark apartment.  Inuyasha definitely lived here, his scent was overpowering. Kouga scrunched up his nose as he was hit with a wave of it. He stepped out of the elevator, carefully removing his shoes so that the sound of them wouldn’t give him away. It was eerily quiet in the apartment, the only light he had was the lights of the city that came in through the windows. “I know you’re here Kouga.” A disembodied voice said in the dark, causing the hair on his nape to rise. 

He realized that he had crossed an invisible line of respect by daring to go into the dog demon’s home uninvited, and unannounced. Nonetheless, he put on a brave front. “Where ya at mutt?” Kouga’s voice called out, he sniffed the air, trying to see where his scent was the strongest. However, he couldn’t pinpoint where exactly he would be. 

“In the kitchen.”  Inuyasha said gruffly. Kouga was hesitant to move, glued to his spot. “Move.” His voice took on a stern, demanding tone. His usual rather husky tone of voice replaced with one that was toneless, conveying no emotion. “Either do what I say, or I'll kick your ass all the way down to the fucking lobby, Kouga.” 

Reluctantly, Kouga moved, walking toward the Kitchen as  Inuyasha turned on the light. He stood at the kitchen counter, his free hand gripping the edge of the counter top, while his other hand held a cup of water to his lips.  Inuyasha’s eyes flickered over Kouga’s body, before he took two large gulps from the class cup. He placed the cup down calmly, licking his lips as he did so. “Why...”  Inuyasha croaked, clearing his throat, “why are you here, Wolf?” Kouga opened his mouth as if to respond, but nothing came out. “Answer me.” 

“Kagome.” Kouga said, finding his voice. “I ran into her on the train.” 

“And?”  Inuyasha grumbled, looking up from the counter of his kitchen. He was irritated to say the least. It was late, and he had just worked up the courage to get up from where he was kneeling, after much time apologizing to the walls of his apartment. He was emotionally exhausted, and wasn’t in the mood to entertain visitors. 

Much less disdained, uninvited visitors. 

“She had a bruise on her arm...and her hands had little marks in them...like nails had dug into them.” Kouga said, looking down at  Inuyasha’s hands. His nails were shorter than usually, after having been cut for the recent fight, but they could still do damage. Blue eyes looked up into hardened gold ones, emotionless...which wasn’t usual for the  hanyou that stood in front of him. “Said  y’all got into an argument.” Kouga added, tilting his head as he crossed his arms. “We don’t have a problem here... do we?” Kouga questioned, scrunching up his nose slightly. 

Inuyasha snorted, smirking as he moved to calmly place his glass in the sink. He chuckled darkly to himself. 

“My relationship, Kouga.” He said darkly, as he turned on the faucet, and ran the glass under the water, “is no one’s business but mine and Kagome’s” 

“Did you hurt her?” Kouga asked firmly. He was done dancing around the question, rolling it around in his mouth like a piece of hard candy.  Inuyasha stopped in his tracks, looking up from his sink. 

“Yes,” he admitted calmly, “but not intentionally.” 

Kouga furrowed his eyebrows, dumbfounded. “And the marks in the hands?” 

“She did that herself.”  Inuyasha shrugged his shoulders, then glanced up at the man. “Are you done, Wolf.” 

“No.” Kouga said, causing  Inuyasha to raise an eyebrow. “I’m not done. You still hurt her. And for what? You were careless!” He growled; his hands balled up in fists. “Like did you even stop to think that you were going to hurt her, that you’re bigger than she is, stronger than she is, you’re a half demon for fuc—” Kouga wasn’t allowed to finish his sentence;  Inuyasha had heard enough. 

His hand connected with his jaw, powerfully. Kouga’s head whipped to the side, as he stumbled back, his hand’s gripping the back of the couch. Kouga felt a metallic taste in his mouth, and liquid drip out of his mouth, trailing down his chin. He spit it out to one side, and gingerly brushed his fingers over the area where  Inuyasha had stricken him. He looked up to see  Inuyasha towering over him, his hand reached out, gripping him by the front of his shirt while the other hand was drawn back, ready to strike. “I’m not exactly in the mood for your shenanigans today, Kouga.”  Inuyasha said, his voice showing no sign of anger, irritation...remorse. 

He was a shell of himself, and the very thought of it made the hair on the back of Kouga’s neck raise.  _ What’s wrong with him?  _

He moved his head to one side, dodging the punch that  Inuyasha threw his way. He used the little bit of time he bought to kick  Inuyasha in the stomach, making him release his grip on Kouga. He kicked  Inuyasha in the knee, causing him to drop down to both of his knees.  _ Why isn’t he fighting back?  _ Kouga thought, as he stood to one side, taking deep breathes as he stared at the half demon. “Inuyasha....yo.” Kouga called, slightly worried about him. 

The worry vanished the second  Inuyasha turned on his heel and charged in his direction, his hand shooting out from his side, gripping Kouga by the throat and lifting him, growling lowly. Kouga felt his hand squeeze gradually around his throat and he scratched desperately at  Inuyasha’s arm, audibly gasping for breath. “Did you think you could just waltz into my territory, my  _ home  _ and demand answers from me?” He pushed Kouga up against one of the windows, his eyes gradually turning blue and red. Kouga had seen  Inuyasha get mad before, but this was on another level. He tried to swallow, but was finding it hard for obvious reasons. “What did the girl tell you?”  Inuyasha questioned, and when Kouga didn’t give him an answer he slammed his head against the glass of the window. “Tell. Me.” He repeated. 

“Inuyasha...bro....calm down.” Kouga said cautiously, “relax.” 

“ _ Oh.”  _ He grumbled, his claws digging into the side of Kouga’s neck. “Now I have to relax?” He slammed Kouga’s head against the window again, this time harder. “I said answer me, Kouga.” 

“She said.... she-ouch...she said nothing other than that...ow...you didn’t hurt her.” Kouga choked out, his still gripping  Inuyasha’s arm. 

“She...what?” His grip on Kouga softened as his eyes went back to normal, he let Kouga’s body fall as he removed his hand from Kouga’s throat. “She said what?” 

“That you didn’t hurt her.” Kouga said between gasps of air as his hands went up to his neck, touching it gingerly. “Judging by your reaction though...that  ain’t exactly true.” He sniffled as he dragged the back of his hand across his nose. He sat back on his knees, sighing as he closed his eyes. “Fuck man...you almost killed me.” He whispered, coughing. “Fucking  christ .” 

Kouga was still confused by the whole ordeal. Kagome lied to him and told him  Inuyasha hadn’t touched her,  Inuyasha got super defensive when Kouga mentioned it (the guy almost killed him!), and all in all  Inuyasha just seemed... _ unhinged.  _ He was having a hard time deciphering the truth from what had been told to him, and part of him wanted to excuse himself from the situation, regretting even asking entirely. But the other part of him, the part that was intrigued by Kagome was screaming at him to get to the bottom of it all. He sucked in a breath as he rose to his feet. “I’m...confused here.” Kouga said finally,  Inuyasha’s eyes flickered from the kitchen to Kouga. 

“There’s nothing to be confused about.” 

“Yes, there is.” Kouga growled, trying to remain civil. “What exactly happened...between you two? Did she hit you and you hit her back? Was she walking away from you and you grabbed her arm? I’m...conflicted.” He sighed, rubbing his eyes with his hand. “I want to know what happened.” 

“It’s none of your business what happened.”  Inuyasha spat back, glaring at the wolf demon in front of him. 

“Kagome is  _ hurt.  _ And I saw it...it’s my business now.” Kouga responded, clenching his jaw. “So, what happened.” He asked, crossing his arms over his chest. “I need to know.” 

“Or what?”  Inuyasha spat back, growling under his breath, “what the fuck are you going to do if I don’t tell you.” 

“I’ll press charges on you for domestic violence.”  Inuyasha’s eyes went wide, in equal parts terror and surprise. It was an incredibly clever way for the Wolf to persuade  Inuyasha into talking, the half-demon would give him that much. 

“Shit.”  Inuyasha cursed under his breath. He paused for a moment, a hand on his forehead. How had this all escalated so quickly? How did a simple talk become this? How...how had his life come to this point. He felt his breathing become shallow as he struggled to keep his hands from shaking. “Oh my god.” he breathed, his chest heaving up and down with every breathe he took. 

“Start talking mutt-face.” Kouga said calmly, tilting his head. “What. Happened. Today.” He said, his eyes flickering over the nervous-wreck of a  hanyou in front of him. He couldn’t fight down the smirk that rose to his lips. It was absolutely exhilarating to have the upper-hand for once. The mental distress  Inuyasha was going through was great, he was sure; but for once being the one with the upper hand against him was...refreshing. He watched as  the half -demon slowly recomposed himself, taking time to run his hands through his hair numerous times, worrying the watch on his wrist. 

“Okay.”  Inuyasha said defeatedly. Not telling him was worse than telling him, and he certainly wasn’t willing to go to jail over the woman. He bit his bottom lip as he turned toward Kouga, “We got into an argument in  Vegas ...”

____________

“The nerve of him!” Kagome exclaimed, pacing the tiny living room of her apartment that she shared with Sango. Sango sat on the couch, following Kagome’s movements with her eyes. “I mean the absolute  _ nerve  _ of that man, Sango!” Kagome added, looking at Sango. She stopped in her tracks, placing her hand on her hips. “Telling me?! To get over it?! AS IF!” Kagome yelled, throwing her hands up in the air. 

“The last time I fucking checked he’s the one who’s always extremely aggressive! It’s like the guy can’t go even a minute without saying something fucked up! God, Sango he’s fucking insufferable!” Kagome said, letting a hollow laugh, and rolling her eyes. “I mean you can’t even imagine the shit he does and says, he acts like he’s entitled to forgiveness and like everyone has to fucking understand him. I don’t understand him! He doesn’t understand me! We aren’t compatible, at fucking all, Sango! I want out! This was the last fucking straw!” Kagome complained, making a cutting motion over her neck. 

“Wow you’re really angry.” Sango said, raising her eyebrows in surprise. She had never seen Kagome as angry as she was now, pacing the creaky floor of their Bronx apartment, running her hand through her hair, motioning with her hands. She knew  Inuyasha was difficult, of course, it was clear from the beginning. However, she hadn’t anticipated for him to be  _ that  _ bad. “So, you’re done...with the contract?” She asked plainly, cocking her head to one side. 

That caused Kagome to pause in her tracks, staring at the wall, blinking hard. 

_ Was  _ she done with the contract? There was no penalty for her if she did break the contract. After all, they can’t control the fact that she and  Inuyasha just aren’t compatible as people. They could put on an act... sure, but behind closed doors it was constant screaming and fighting and  nver coming to an agreement. It was countless nights yelling at him over the phone until the wee hours of the morning. It was fighting before his fights, after his fights, and any time they found themselves in private with no cameras. It was a war, a constant, never-ending war. 

And she was growing tired of it. 

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to help Inuyasha; she saw his raw talent for what he does, she’s seen the passion and the blood and the sweat and tears he put into making a name for himself. She would hate to see his career crumble as a result of his poor decisions. 

She realized that his passion for what he does was the only thing that she could relate to,  _ actually  _ relate to. But that wasn’t enough for her to stay. Neither was the money. She had told herself long, long ago that her health and her happiness was of the upmost importance, and fuck anyone who dared disturb that for her. The money would have been good...it  _ is  _ good, really good. But fuck...she couldn’t just let him have her way with her for a year for one million dollars, especially knowing that she may come out of this with way more attention on her life than she would want to. It’s not you stop being famous the second you leave someone, especially someone like him who she would dare to say was as popular as some mainstream singers and actors. 

“I don’t know.” Kagome resolved, sighing as she slumped her shoulders. “Fuck, Sango he’s just such a vile person.” Kagome said lowly, throwing her head back. 

“I don’t question it.” Sango said plainly shrugging her shoulders, “dude  hada rough childhood, rough life...he doesn’t know stability...in anyway.” Kagome shot Sango a bewildered look. Was she serious right now? “Look, even now, every month or so he’s on a jet to Vegas for a night or two, and then he comes back.” 

“He’s stable, Sango.” Kagome uttered, crossing her arms under her breasts. “He goes for one night, comes back and has a routine. He trains every day for like six or seven hours a day, goes home, eats, and sleeps.” 

“That’s exactly my point Kagome...he’s awkward, socially...and it manifests in aggression.” Sango suggested, bringing her knees up to her chest as Kagome sat across from her on the couch. 

“How do you know that?” Kagome huffed, rolling her eyes. 

“ Miroku and I talk about you guys a lot. I know all about  Inuyasha , Kagome. The poor guy has been through so much shit...he’s been emotionally stunted. He’s aggressive by nature, but also as a result of what he’s been through.” Sango sighed as she made a pained expression. “As much as it pains me to say it.... have patience.” 

“Or maybe it’s the fact that he’s still not over his fucking ex.” Kagome muttered, turning her face away from Sango. 

“And that bothers you?” Sango inquired, raising her eyebrows at the woman. “Are you...do you have a crush on him?” 

“Absolutely not!” Kagome said defensively, waving her hands. “No! No! It’s just that I know a thing or two on how a bad break up can fuck you up mentally...” her voice trailed off as both she and Sango recalled how her last relationship ended. 

Or rather, crashed and burned, proverbially speaking. 

“ So..what are you going to do, Kags?” Sango questioned, resting her head on her knees as she stared her friend. Brown eyes watching her every move intently. “Do you want me to call Miroku, so you guys can discuss what your next steps are going to be?” Sango offered. 

“No...” Kagome’s voice trailed off as she bit the tip of her thumb. 

She wanted so badly to just cut herself free. 

Lose any and all commitment to  Inuyasha’s future success. 

But every time she contemplated making the call to  Miroku and Sesshomaru...the voice in the back of her mind screamed at her about the money, how it would help her get out of her crippling student debt, expand her business. 

And those rewards far outweighed anything else she could possibly think of. 

But this time was different. This time she was willing to genuinely cut ties with the whole ordeal, step away from the limelight...watch him crash and burn from afar. This last argument had been the straw that broke the camel’s back. But yet again the voice in the back of her head screamed at her. 

_ The money!  _

_ The blasted, god forsaken, green money! The money!  _

She felt shallow, making a choice purely for the money. But god damn it... it was  _ good _ . 

“What would you do?” Kagome spoke after a long time of not speaking, turning her attention back to Sango. 

“Huh?” Sango said, blinking hard. “Me?” 

“Yeah.” Kagome said, nodding her head. “What would you do if you were me?” 

Sango furrowed her eyebrows in thought. 

“ Like..if I was in your position?” Sango asked, pointing to Kagome. Again, she nodded her head. “Um...” She trailed off, clicking tongue as she turned her head up to the ceiling.  _ Fuck,  _ Sango thought,  _ what WOULD I do?  _ She had to admit that her friend’s situation was unique. It wasn’t every day that you get thrusted into the spotlight to play arm candy for a wealthy, fucked up, fighter. It also wasn’t every day you get paid one million dollars for doing so. 

“I’d just stick it out for the money.” Sango admitted, shrugging her shoulders. “Take the money, and go.” 

“See the problem is I  _ can’t  _ just take the money and go.” Kagome muttered, pinching the bridge of her nose. Sango snorted. 

“Why the hell not? Sure ya can.” She said, scrunching up her face. 

“No, I can’t because you and  Miroku are a thing now.” Kagome said, pushing her hands together. “Which means  Inuyasha and I are  gonna see each other a lot, even after we stop ‘dating’.” Kagome said, putting air quotation marks around the word dating. Sudden realization settled on her friend’s face as she made her mouth into an ‘o’ shape. 

“ Ohh ,” Sango said,  facepalming herself. “That’s why you’re hellbent on you two being civil!” 

It wasn’t really that she wanted to be civil with him for her friend’s relationship, it was more so for her own sanity. 

But, sure. 

That worked too. 

“Uh yeah sure.” Kagome hissed under her breathe, folding her arms. “What do you think I should do about what happened today, though?” She looked down at her hands, the blood had dried and she had cleaned and bandaged her wounds. 

She had, however, cried a little bit as soon as she got home. 

She was just so...so...so  _ frustrated  _ with him. She had never known that much frustration in her life. 

“Should I. ..try again?” Kagome questioned, raising an eyebrow at her friend. Sango shrugged. 

“Whatever you do...I’ll support you, Kagome.” Sango said, smiling weakly at her friend. “I may be a little biased on giving him another chance though, I did ask you to have patience.” 

_ Patience.  _

Kagome would admit that she wasn’t necessarily known for being patient, at all. Patience was virtue she had yet to master, it seemed to also be one that  Inuyasha had trouble with. It was quiet for a moment, as Kagome sighed and sunk into her corner of the couch. Perhaps they were both at fault...and both of them were just too stubborn to see it. He was stubborn, just as she was. 

Perhaps even more so. 

“Okay.” Kagome said, returning the smile to her friend. “Thank you, Sango.” Kagome said, as she stretched out her arms to Sango. Smiling, Kagome crawled over to her part of the couch and hugged Kagome back. “I don’t know what I would ever do without you.” Kagome joked. 

“Well I guess we’ll never find out, will we?” Sango said, sighing as she pulled away from Kagome. “I’m  kinda hungry, takeout?” Sango suggested, and Kagome nodded. 

“Sure...that sounds good.” She said, yawning. Sango nodded and disappeared into her room. It was still relatively early in the day, but it was late enough for the sun to begin to set. However, the woman was already exhausted, the day's events had taken a toll on her, mentally and physically. Originally, she planned on going to central park to clear her mind, and gather her thoughts before she went to  Inuyasha , to apologize...or, erm...

Try to make amends? 

Of course, that hadn’t worked out well and now here she was in her apartment, frustrated, confused, angry, and hurt 

But she also felt terribly sorry. 

She realized that she may have been terribly rude and crossed a line with the final comment she made. In her defense it was made entirely out of frustration and anger. But that wouldn’t exactly mean anything. She had already said it, and saw the little flames in his eyes be snuffed out. She groaned as she rubbed her eyes with the heels of her palms. “Ah, fuck...” She cursed under her breath, sighing. “I probably crossed a line I shouldn’t have crossed.” In retrospect, she realized just how deeply she may cut him, and in her fit of rage hadn’t realized how  _ fucked up  _ what she said was. 

Ultimately...she was in the wrong this time. She sighed as she got up from her spot on the couch and shuffled disappointedly into her room, letting her body fall onto her bed. She turned her head in the direction of her phone and stared at it for a while, hesitating to pick it up and call Inuyasha. Groaning, she picked up her phone and unlocked it. Her finger hoovered over his contact name. 

** Inuyasha ** ** Takahashi.  **

It made her sick that she had to call and admit to that beautiful, damaged, tainted man that she was  _ wrong  _ for today. That  _ both  _ of them were wrong but that she, ultimately, had only made matters worse. She sucked in a breath as she called him, and placed her phone to her ear. The phone rang...

And rang. 

And rang. 

“Kagome?” his voice answered on the other end in a gasp, as if he wasn’t expecting her call. Her heart tightened as she noticed the slight note of anger in his voice as well.  _ Great. He’s still angry. “ _ Why’d you call?”  Inuyasha asked, rubbing his eyes with his hand. Kouga had left a little after he told him the complete story of what happened, ultimately deciding that this was definitely more of a relationship issue and less of a domestic violence issue. He got up out of bed and walked over to the wall length window, looking out to the city as the sun set behind all the buildings. 

“I. ..uh ...” she stammered awkwardly, “I wanted to apologize.” She muttered, pretending to inspect her nails. “For what...I did, um, today.” She heard  Inuyasha sigh on the other end, and she felt a pang of hurt in her chest. “I shouldn’t have called you...all those...things.” She added awkwardly, sighing. 

It was quiet for a moment as  Inuyasha considered her words. “That hurt.” He said simply, clearing his throat as he turned on his heel,  bare feet walking across the cool cherry wood floor of his bedroom. 

“Yeah,” Kagome responded in a hushed tone, biting her bottom lip for a second. “I kind of noticed the second it left my mouth that I shouldn’t have said that. I'm so sorry, I really didn’t mean--” 

“I beat myself up about what I did earlier.”  Inuyasha stopped her, saying everything in one breathe. “I shouldn’t have grabbed you like that. I’m stronger than you, bigger....I told you I wouldn’t hurt you. I stand by that.”  Inuyasaha said, nibbling on his bottom lip. “I’m sorry, too.” He added offhandedly. 

“It’s okay.” Kagome reassured him, now sitting up in her bed. “I,  um..I kind of started this whole thing, I’m sorry.” Kagome said, letting out a small laugh. “I shouldn’t have been as dramatic.” 

“I should have listened.”  Inuyasha said quietly on the other end, plainly as he walked in circles around his room. “I...” He opened his mouth as if to say something else, and then closed it. “ Nevermind .” He said. 

“Remember what you said about starting over?” Kagome questioned, looking up in the direction of her doorway, where Sango leaned against the frame, armed crossed as she cocked an eyebrow at her friend. “You said you wanted us to have a clean slate.” 

“I never said that.”  Inuyasha said hurriedly, and then stopped, taking a deep breath. “ Well. I may have hinted to it.” He added, stopping in his tracks. “Why?” 

“Can we? Start over again?” She bit her lip nervously, “I realize that we started off super bad and we were both just.... nasty toward each other and we didn’t even give each other a chance and I just...I want this to work for you. I want to help you.” 

“Yes.”  Inuyasha responded quickly, smiling down at the floor. “Of course, I’d like that...that is if that’s what you—" 

“Yes.” Kagome said, smiling. “I don’t want to argue anymore Inuyasha. I just...it’s tiring.” 

“I know...I’m sorry.” 

“Why are you apologizing?” Kagome asked, furrowing her eyebrows. 

Inuyasha sighed on the other end and stretched. Kagome’s stomach tied into knots at the soft moan he made. “I’m a tough person to deal with, I know that. I’m constantly reminded of it. So, I guess...I’m sorry for being so difficult?” He added the last part sheepishly, his voice shifting into a questioning tone. “I, um...fuck.” He chuckled, “I forgot what I was going to say.” 

Kagome giggled, smiling down at her bed sheets, making circles with her finger. “That’s fine.” She said, looking back up toward Sango who fanned herself with her hand. She threw a pillow at her, causing Sango to dip back into her room. But her head popped out from her room still, she smiled. “Listen um...I  gotta go, but I guess I’ll talk to you soon?” 

“Yeah. That’s cool.”  Inuyasha said, running a hand through his hair. “Bye, Kagome.” 

The way he said her name sounded... _ different.  _ It didn’t sound forced, or harsh...or mean. It was natural. The way it rolled off of his tongue, the harsh Japanese pronunciation of the ‘K’, somehow sounded softer.

She smiled. 

“Bye,  Inuyasha .” 

Kagome hung up, and let her body fall back onto the bed. Sango popped back out from her bedroom, and belly flopped onto the other side of Kagome’s bed. “I think we’re good now.” Kagome said, turning her head to smile at her friend. Sango rolled her eyes, and gently nudged her shoulder.


	20. "Square One"

He hated going to Sesshomaru’s house. It was a cold, loveless place (which he would argue mirrored his brother’s sentiments exactly). He never understood why, or even how Rin dated and eventually got engaged to the man. He was happy for his brother of course; he’s doing much better than Inuyasha could ever imagine himself doing at that age. He sighed as he pulled his car into the gravel driveway, slowing down his speed as he parked his car next to Miroku’s car, but behind his brother’s Range Rover. He sighed as he leaned back in the driver’s seat, collecting his thoughts before leaving the vehicle. He rolled his shoulders as he walked from the driveway toward the porch, placing his hand on the doorknob. Before he could turn the knob, the door was pulled open, ripped from his grasp. His brother stood on the inside of the minimalistic house, blinking at Inuyasha. 

“Ah,” Sesshomaru said lowly, his judgmental gaze flickering over his brother, “you’re here.” He stepped to the side to allow Inuyasha into his home, closing the door softly behind him. “I wasn’t expecting you to arrive.” 

“I wasn’t gonna.” Inuyasha muttered, turning his head to take in the décor of the house. It occurred to him that he had never actually come into his brother’s house, apart from when he helped him move him a year or two ago...whenever it was that they made the cross country move from California to New York. He could smell food cooking in the kitchen and his ears picked up on the delicate, melodic timbre of Kagome’s giggle. “Hopefully this makes up for the lateness.” Inuyasha uttered, handing a wine bottle to his brother. 

“This was Rin’s idea.” Sesshomaru said, as they walked toward the kitchen. 

“Oh yeah?” Inuyasha asked, raising an eyebrow. “Woulda never guessed.” He added sarcastically. It wasn’t exactly a formal event, but it also wasn’t casual. He opted for dark blue dress pants and a plain white dress shirt, tucked in. He rolled the sleeves of his shirt up a little bit. 

“Ah, Inuyasha! Welcome!” Rin called warmly from the kitchen, smiling as she shut the refrigerator door. She set down the vegetables she had in her hand on the counter and walked over to him, giving him a hug and a peck on the cheek, which he returned. 

“Rin, hi.” Inuyasha muttered, chuckling. He glanced over her shoulder to Kagome, who gave him a soft smile. He gave her a crooked grin, a fang popping out over his lower lip. Sesshomaru grunted from behind Inuyasha, signaling it was time to let go of his future sister-in-law. “Relax, would ya?” Inuyasha said playfully, rolling his eyes as he moved on to greet the other guests. He shook Miroku’s hand, and gave Sango a squeeze on her shoulder, which he reacted to by placing her hand over his and smiling over her shoulder. 

He stopped when he reached Kagome, who sipped on her glass of red wine. “Kagome.” He greeted, clearing his throat. 

It had been awkward between the two since they last spoke on the phone a week ago, in fact this was the first time they were seeing each other since...that day at his apartment. And while both parties had both agreed that what happened as an unfortunate case of misunderstanding and anger, it was awkward between them. 

It didn’t help that he was bad at expressing himself, and she had a tendency to _over_ express herself. He could feel everyone’s eyes on them, as they sucked in their breath...waiting. 

“Inuyasha.” Kagome said quietly, turned her face up to him from where she sat, a polite smile gracing her features. “You look nice.” She complimented. 

“Don’t I always?” Inuyasha shot back, a playful twinkle in his eyes. Kagome took a sip of her wine quickly, causing a rumble to rise in his chest. “You can admit it.” 

“I’m pleading the 5th.” She mumbled, turning her face away. Inuyasha smiled, satisfied before turning his attention to the kitchen, his hand resting on the back of the chair Kagome sat on at the island. 

“What can I help you with, Rin?” Inuyasha asked, changing the tone of his voice as he looked toward the kitchen, ignoring the look of bewilderment Kagome and Sango gave him. Miroku tsk’d his tongue, shaking his head as he took a sip of the cognac that was in his hands. 

“Well you can season the meat if you’re up for it.” Rin said over her shoulder, and Inuyasha scrunched up his nose. 

“Anything else?” 

“Cut the vegetables.” Rin said back, quickly as she hoovered over a pasta sauce she was making. 

“Um,” Kagome said, cocking her head to one side and blinking hard. “Why...why does he get to help? Sango and I begged you to let us help.” Rin waved her hand dismissively as Sesshomaru scooted by her, placing the bottle of wine Inuyasha gave him in the wine cooler. 

“Nonsense, you three are guests!” She said cheerfully, causing Inuyasha to snort as he rummaged through the drawers, finally finding a knife. 

“Oh, so what am I? Chopped liver?” Inuyasha asked. 

“Probably.” Kagome mused offhandedly, earning a glare from Inuyasha. She shrugged her shoulders in response. 

“You’re family.” Rin said to Inuyasha, causing him to stiffen in his spot. Rin immediately realized what she said and began apologizing lowly, placing a hand gingerly on his arm. “Oh my god I’m sorry, it missed my mind I-” 

Inuyasha shook his head, giving a small smile to the petite woman beside him. “No, you’re good, Rin.” He sighed. “it’s fine.” He turned his head quickly, focusing on cutting the vegetables that sat on the cutting board now, zoning out the quiet conversation and laughter of everyone else. The word family brought back painful memories for him. 

Family...never really existed. It always felt so foreign to him. Strange. His mother was constantly absent, and when she was around, she was abusive. His father neglected him and when he didn’t, he beat him, and called him names. Most times he was high off his ass, and didn’t give a damn about the world. 

That left Sesshomaru. 

His brother... _half-brother_ , so not even fully his brother. He suspected Sesshomaru had been through his fair share of family trauma. He endured the same abuse as his father, often times taking Inuyasha’s place. His own mother died mysteriously when he was younger, leaving him with their father for a while before Izayoi came into his and Toga’s lives. 

Despite enduring the same trauma at the hands of the same person. Despite often times sacrificing his own body for his brother...Inuyasha could feel the resentment radiate off of him. It made him angry, to feel resented. Especially by the same person he survived that with. Was it because of the fact that Sesshomaru had to sacrifice himself sometimes for him? Was it because he was born half-human? Was his own brother prejudice toward him? 

Was it...all of it? 

He hissed in pain as he looked down at his finger, his thumb having been sliced by the knife he was using as he was deep in thought. “Shit.” he cursed lowly, turning away from the vegetables, holding his hand out. Rin gasped as she noticed the injury, and Sesshomaru merely shifted his gaze. “Bandages are in the powder room past the living room.” Sesshomaru uttered, pointing opposite the kitchen, in the direction they came from. 

“Thanks.” Inuyasha sighed, as he walked briskly in the direction of the bathroom, Kagome’s eyes burning holes into his back. He tried his best to ignore it, and walked into the bathroom, letting the door slam shut behind himself. He sighed as he opened the faucet, letting cool water run over the cut. From what he could make out, the cut was pretty deep, but not deep enough to need Rin to suture it. “Just great.” He whispered to himself, as his free hand opened the bathroom cabinet, locating a first aid kit. He pulled it down and let it fall on the counter with a thud. His hand opened it, and he scanned the contents, looking for anything helpful. He found a few alcohol pads and some thick bandages. He took his thumb out from under the water and stuck it in his mouth, letting his tongue drag over the area of the wound for a few minutes. He realized, --as he stood there, one hand on his hip, the other with his thumb in his mouth--, that he would need help putting on the bandage, lest he stain his white shirt red. So, as embarrassed as the half-demon was, he opened the door, only to be met with a familiar pair of chocolate brown eyes. 

“Inuyasha?” She giggled out his name, placing a hand on her cheek as she took in what Inuyasha could only presume to be a funny sight. “Do you need help?” 

“Um,” he vocalized, his thumb still in his mouth. He didn’t dare to take it out. “Mhm.” He answered, stepping aside so that Kagome could enter the small powder room. It was impossible to not feel like a little kid, as he leaned against the counter, his eyes trailing over Kagome’s hands as she picked out an alcohol pad and a bandage. He felt like he was at the school nurse’s office all over again. 

“Give it,” Kagome said motioning for the thumb he had in his mouth. Reluctantly he pulled it away and positioned his hand over the sink, wincing and whimpering and Kagome gently dragged the alcohol wipe over the cut. “You cut yourself pretty deep there.” Kagome said softly, eyes flickering in the dog demon’s direction. “Did you like not see your finger?” 

“Something like that.” inuyasha sighed, forcing his eyes shut as he tried not to make a sound at the sting of the alcohol. She threw away the pad in the waste basket and let go of his hand for a second as she unwrapped the bandaged, and placed it on his thumb, making sure the cotton pad fit over the whole cut. She smiled up at him when she was done. “There you go.” She said, looking down at his hand, her fingers gently rubbing over the calluses on his palm. 

“Thanks.” Inuyasha said awkwardly, pulling his hand away. He looked down, and rubbed his own hand over the other, feeling the calluses himself. “Um, they’re from uh...” 

“Lifting weights, right?” Kagome finished, shoving her hands into her black dress pants. 

“Yep.” He added, nodding his head slowly. It was painfully awkward between them, as they were beginning to enter a new stage in their relationship; tolerance. 

And tolerance...had to be built. It didn’t rise out of the ashes of their burnt bridge like a phoenix. Oh no, the bridge had to be slowly built again, and they had to meet half way. Only neither one of them were taking steps toward building said bridge. That was until... 

“You look nice.” Inuyasha uttered, looking away from the woman standing in front of him, the scent of the perfume he bought her that first week together filling his nose, intoxicating him. “Never seen you in a pant suit before.” 

“You look good too.” Kagome said, Inuyasha raised his eyebrows. 

“I fuckin’ knew it.” He boasted, smiling at her, “I knew you thought I looked good.” 

“You’d look better in the kitchen.” Kagome responded as she motioned for Inuyasha to get out of the bathroom. “Now go! Let's not have a repeat of Vegas.” 

“Gladly.” Inuyasha agreed, letting Kagome step aside for him to leave the bathroom. She followed closely behind him. 

“Took you guys long enough, how long does it take to put on a Band-Aid?” Miroku called to them from his place beside Sango, one of his arms draped over her shoulders. His other hand holding a whiskey glass. 

“As long as it takes your sorry ass to finish.” Inuyasha spat back, rolling up his sleeves to his elbow, the smile on Miroku’s face disappearing as realization settled in. 

“Oh, fuck you.” Miroku muttered, taking a long sip of his drink. Inuyasha shifted his golden eyes to Sango and shrugged his shoulders. 

“Forgot to tell you he’s a ten second ride.” 

“Inuyasha!” Rin exclaimed from the kitchen, “can you stop being a dick for one night please? I just want us all to have a nice dinner. I don’t have a night off from the hospital very often so I would love it if you could save the insults.” 

“Sadly, my brother can’t stop being vulgar even if his life depended on it.” Sesshomaru said, tilting his head in Inuyasha’s direction. “Isn’t that right... _little brother_?” 

Inuyasha swallowed hard, always uncomfortable at the way Sesshomaru said the words. It often sounded like a hiss...like...like some hidden message was in them. “Yeah,” Inuyasha responded, locking eyes with his brother, clenching his jaw. “Sure...alright. Sorry.” He cleared his throat as he shook his head. “Still need my help in the kitchen?” he asked, to which Rin shook her head. 

“No...” her voice trailed off, “but if you could set the dining room table, that would be great.” 

“Sure.” Inuyasha answered, grabbing a stack of plates that sat to one side of the island counter in the middle of the kitchen. Miroku cleared his throat as he hopped out of his seat the bar. 

“I’ll take the utensils.” He announced, grabbing a fist full of spoons, knives and forks from the kitchen drawer. 

“That’s alright, I don’t really need you to-” 

“I said I'd take the utensils.” Miroku responded, his tone suddenly cold and low. Inuyasha furrowed his eyebrows, but nodded as he headed for the dining room, Miroku close on his track. Once they were in the dining room and Inuyasha set the plates down on the wooden table, Miroku spoke again. 

“So... what’d you do?” He inquired, tugging at his earring. He stood behind the chair at the head of the table, watching as Inuyasha walked around, placing plates at each seat. Inuyasha glanced up at Miorku warily, distrusting eyes traveling over the serious expression of the monk. 

“What did I do?” Inuyasha repeated, standing at the other end of the table, across from Miroku. “What do you mean what did I do?” He clarified, tilting his head to one side. 

“Don’t play dumb, you sleezy dog, you know what I’m getting at.” Miroku seethed, clutching the back of the chair, his knuckles turning white. Inuyasha narrowed his eyes, a growl forming in his chest. “Don’t growl at me.” He ordered, causing Inuyasha to set his fist down on the table, defiantly. The plates jumped slightly. 

“You don’t tell me what to do Miroku, you don’t own me.” Inuyasha grumbled, opening the fist he had on the table to lay his hand flat on the table. “And don’t call me a _dog.”_

Miroku rolled his eyes at Inuyasha, who glared him down from across the table. “What’d you do with it...Inuyasha?” Miroku asked, looking away from his friend as he clenched his jaw. 

“Do we have to do this now?” Inuyasha asked, rolling his eyes as he moved to walk around the table and out the entrance to the dining room, Miroku moved, blocking his path. “Seriously?” 

“If I don’t corner you, we’d _never_ talk about it.” Miroku hissed back at Inuyasha , stuffing his hands into his pant pockets. “So, I’m gonna ask again...what did you do with it?” He took a step toward his friend, tongue in cheek waiting for a response. _Daring_ him to lie. 

He already knew what he told Sesshomaru, he sounded the alarm and told Sesshomaru, who paid his brother a “visit” that same night. Sesshomaru then called Miroku and informed him. 

_“He hasn’t taken any...at least not yet.”_ _Sesshomaru_ _said over the phone, sighing as he rubbed his eyes with his free hand in his car. “But the drugs are still in the apartment..._ _I_ _could smell them.”_

_“Ugh.”_ _Miorku_ _said as he stood in his kitchen, his hand gripping the edge of the counter, it moved to run through his hair. He glanced over at the clock seeing that it was late at night. “Are you sure you didn’t go way too soon after he threw them away?” Miroku questioned, biting the tip of his thumb. “I’m just trying to be optimistic here.”_

_“I’m positive they’re still there.”_ _Sesshomaru_ _said through gritted teeth as he pulled away. It was quiet for a moment. “God help that man.” he uttered, glancing in his_ _rear-view_ _mirror_ _. “He’s gone, Miroku. He’s on his own now.”_

_“No!” Miroku yelled, slamming his fist into the countertop, grimacing at the pain. “We can help-”_

_“No,_ **_you_ ** _can help.”_ _Sesshomaru_ _spat back quickly, shaking his head. “I’m done. He's on his own with this, as far as I’m concerned.”_

Miroku wasn’t ready to let Inuyasha crash and burn on his own...not without a fight. 

He’d be damned if he didn’t try to get a straight answer from him. 

“So?” Miroku questioned, taking in a deep breath and exhaling, his breath shaky. “What did you do?” 

“I flushed it down the toilet.” Inuyasha lied, golden eyes staring into his friend’s indigo ones, watching for any sign of relief...hope. His own eyes remained expressionless, matching his plain tone. 

Nothing. His eyes remained emotionless. 

“You what?” Miroku asked, blinking hard. 

“I flushed it down the toilet.” inuyasha repeated, crossing his arms. 

“Hothothothothot!” Inuyasha shifted in his spot as Kagome walked into the dining room, carrying a bowl of pasta in her hands. She placed it in the center of the table and briefly acknowledged the men in the room, before leaving the room. 

“You did...did you?” Miroku said softly, once he knew she was out of earshot. “you spent all that money...just to flush it down the toilet.” He added, and then looked up, turning his face to the ceiling. “Huh...well then.... okay.” He said, sounding almost dejected. Defeated in a way. He turned on his heel, and walked out of the dining room, leaving Inuyasha to finish setting the table himself. Miroku rubbed the part of his chest where his heart was, feeling en emptiness. _The bastard...lied...to me,_ he shook his head in disbelief, _his best friend...his confidant.... he lied._ Miroku felt oddly betrayed by Inuyasha, as if he had just had the wind knocked out of him...like the floor beneath his feet was slowly disintegrating. 

“Are you okay, babe?” Sango asked, once he reached her. He nodded his head silently as he rested it on her shoulder, watching as she tossed a salad. “Well...alright then.” 

* * *

Dinner had gone well for the group. It was supplemented by healthy conversation and laughter, and of course, dessert. Inuyasha couldn’t help but make awkward eye contact with Miroku who seemed to stare him down during the entirety of the dinner, even as they all indulged in conversation afterward. Inuyasha’s attention eventually moved from Miroku to someone, anyone else, as everyone seemed to dissipate within the property. He eventually found himself on the back porch with Kagome, holding a glass of whisky in one hand, the other in his pant pocket. 

“How’s the thumb?” Kagome asked, pointing at his hand. Inuyasha glanced down, and raised the hand clutching the whisky to eye level. 

“Oh this?” Inuyasha asked, inspecting his thumb, “seems fine to me. It’ll be gone tomorrow?” 

“Tomorrow?” Kagome asked, furrowing her brow. “Oh wait...half-demon...right.” She added awkwardly after, bringing her palm to her forehead. “Whoops.” 

“Yeah.” inuyasha replied awkwardly, taking a sip of his drink. “What are you doing out here?” 

“It’s nice.” Kagome whispered, glancing over to Inuyasha. She never tore her eyes away from the empty night sky, squinting in an attempt to find a star. It was in vain, as usual. She’d never find a star in the night sky in NYC. “I like this area of NYC...Riverdale. It's like...farm country in the middle of the big city.” 

“Yeah...I guess so.” Inuyasha responded, looking out at the sky as well. “Can I ask you a question?” Inuyasha asked, cautiously. He licked his lips and cleared his throat as he turned his head in her direction. 

“Well...it depends what it is.” Kagome answered softly, still looking out at the sky, her hands cupping a mug of tea. 

“What’d you tell Kouga?” Inuyasha questioned sternly, biting his lip. “About that day...last week.” Kagome stiffened in her spot, her calm and content demeanor shifted as she was visibly nervous. Inuyasha could hear her heart rate speeding up, and a panicked expression washed over her features. She turned her head in his direction, seemingly on the verge of tears. 

“I-” She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing seemed to come out. 

“I’m not mad.” Inuyasha said, as he raised his glass, his lips hoovering over the edge, “well...maybe a little.” 

“I didn’t tell him anything...I don’t think.” Kagome finally answered, looking down at the cup of tea that warmed her hands. “I...” 

“Really?” Inuyasha asked, sighing. “Because that’s not what he said.” 

“What?” Kagome breathed, “what did he say?” 

“He knew about the argument.” 

Kagome sucked in a breath. 

“Inuyasha I-” 

“I’m all for starting over.” Inuyasha interrupted, looking up from the wooden floor of the back porch out to the trees in the backyard. “But, um...we’re getting off on the wrong foot here again...don’t ya think?” 

Kagome swallowed a lump that formed in her throat. “Inuyasha...” 

“I...” He paused as he considered his choice of words, “honestly don’t want to hear it.” He offered Kagome a weak, dejected smile before opening the storm door and stepping inside the house, letting the door slam shut behind him. 

And just like that.... the step he took toward rebuilding their bridge was taken back...again. 

And they were right back where they started. 

Right back at square one. 


	21. "Deal"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is (sadly) the last *consistent* update of Million Dollar Man before I ship myself off to college next Thursday. I have thoroughly enjoyed writing this story and sharing it with you all up until now, and I cannot wait to begin again in late November, and resume writing this emotional rollercoaster of a story. 
> 
> In the meantime, "My Dearest, Kagome" will be my main fic while I'm at college, as it requires much less time to write and I encourage those of you brave enough to read it to give it a gander!! 
> 
> If you'd like to reach me you can ALWAYS do so on my profile here or on my Tumblr (inussunflower.tumblr.com) 
> 
> See you all in November!! Love you all lots!

He wasn’t the type to do this to people.

At least not people he respected, and looked up to. And especially not people who gave him the opportunity to move to America and start anew, start fresh alongside them. He’d sworn a long time ago to  _ not  _ fuck this up, ever. 

But this opportunity would fast track him, cut his journey to the top by more than half if it all went according to his plan. 

Well. 

Not  _ his  _ plan...but someone else’s plan. 

He knew this would have serious repercussions if he was caught...exposed. His life was on the line with this. But so was everyone  else's .

Including a certain silver haired, dog eared man. 

_ Especially _ that certain silver haired, dog eared man. He sighed as he parked the car in the back of the empty warehouse, right next to a white car. He glanced out of the window, brown eyes locating the other man in the car next to his. He got out of his car, and stepped over, tapping the passenger side window with his knuckles. A moment later the window lowered and he leaned into the car, his arms folded over the edge of the door. 

“Did you do it?” The man asked, lowering his head to glance up at him through his sunglasses. Red, beady eyes flickering over his tan skin. 

“Yeah.” The other man sighed. 

“Have you noticed any differences in his behavior?” the other man asked, chewing loudly on a stick of gum. 

“No. .. I don’t see him much beyond the gym. He spends all his time with his girlfriend, or at home” He sighed, shaking his head. “But he hasn’t seemed much different lately at all, still an asshole.”  _ And a raging one at that.  _

The man made a sound of acknowledgement. “So, I take it he hasn’t done any of it yet? Is that what you’re saying?” 

“Yessir.” 

“How odd. Didn’t you say he was feeble minded? What’s the  delay ?” 

“Like hell if I know, Naraku.” He spat, brown eyes squinting at him. “Wanna ask him yourself?” He was indignant, offended that Naraku thought him some puppy that followed  Inuyasha everywhere he went. 

“Watch your mouth, son.” 

“Don’t call me son.” He responded, clenching his jaw. “Just because I'm taking this opportunity doesn’t mean I like you.” 

“Yes, of course.” Naraku responded lowly, his hand gripping the steering wheel, “Except you like me enough to take up my offer.” 

“I took up the offer because it would fast track my own career.” He replied quickly, grinding his teeth. “You think I don’t feel horrible doing this?” 

“You won’t once you take his place in less time than you wanted to.” Naraku replied, shrugging his shoulders. “Aren’t you tired of being his subordinate...of being just his sparring partner? Don’t you want more, Bankotsu?” 

_ Don’t you want more, Bankotsu?  _

He huffed, and turned his face up to the sky. Of course, he wanted more; he couldn’t let his own fighting career take second place behind  Inuyasha’s . It’s just that...

“I don’t think this is going to work.” He uttered, “I don’t think he’d throw his career away like that.”

“You underestimate the boy’s stupidity... Bankotsu . Have you seen his headlines? They’re rarely about his fights and more about his acting like a spoiled rich boy.”  Bankotsu chuckled lowly at his decree. 

“ Bankotsu ...” he looked up at the sound of his name, “Once he’s hooked and I beat him...leave. Join my team. I’ll give you more opportunities than he ever would.” 

Bankotsu drew his bottom lip in between his teeth, scratching at the marking on his forehead with his thumb. He gave Naraku a pensive look. Then he reached into his pocket, feeling his phone ring. 

Inuyasha.

“Who’s that?” Naraku asked, his eyes flickering from  Bankotsu’s face to his phone. 

“Who do you think?” He said, rolling his eyes. “Probably time to go train...I  gotta go.” 

“You didn’t give me answer.” Naraku said sternly, clenching his jaw. 

“I’ll give you an answer once this plan works...I need proof it worked first.” He paused for a second, “deal?” 

Naraku growled lowly, rolling his red eyes. He rubbed a hand across his eyes under his sunglasses. 

“Deal.” 


	22. "A Miracle"

He could hear the ear-piercing screech of a familiar voice calling his name, but he couldn’t particularly make out who it was. His head hurt too much for him to try to decipher who it was. He just wanted to sleep.

**_“I know him! Let me through!”_ **

_Who is she? Do I know her?_

He tried to open his eyes but was blinded by the bright lights that zoomed past him and surrounded him, he could only see the flash of blue and red. He looked down and realized that he was no longer inside of his car, he closed his eyes again. His head hurt.

_Did I crash?_

**_“THAT’S MY FUCKING BROTHER-IN-LAW I SAID LET ME THROUGH! INUYASHA!”_ **

_Rin! Oh god, Rin._

**_“I DON’T GIVE A FUCK... PLEASE!”_ **

She sounded desperate, unhinged even. He tried to sit up, he kept telling his body to, but he got no reaction, he didn’t try again. He was too tired...and comfortable.

He felt warm, and safe...like he’d been wrapped in a blanket fresh out of the dryer.

**_“I’M A....I CAN HELP....INU.... GOM...”_ **

_I’m tired...can we talk later?_

* * *

_An accident?_

She zoned out after Rin called her in hysterics, crying, screaming. She stood in the back of the Café holding the phone to her ear in shock, unable to say anything back.

_He’s been in an accident?_

She listened as Rin described the scene, saying she was personally on her way to work when she looked to the other side of the highway and saw a car that resembled his, and a trail of debris. She said she almost missed seeing his body had an officer not moved out of the way.

She said it was bad, that she stopped her own car right on the side of the highway and vaulted over the divider, running in his direction. She was in the back of a police car guiding the ambulance to the hospital.

“I... uh...” Kagome started, she felt a tingling sensation crawl over her entire body, and a chill run up her spine. “Um...I...” she couldn’t speak.

_Why can’t I fucking speak!_

_“Kagome! Kagome please! I don’t think he’s going to survive this!”_

“What?”

_“He could die, Kagome.”_ Rin’s voice cracked as she spoke, her voice muffled as if she was covering her mouth. _“Meet me at New York Presbyterian.”_

“Okay.” Kagome breathed, hanging up the call. She set her phone down on the stainless-steel counter behind her as she turned to face it, her hands gripping the edges of the counter. She tried to steady her breathing, but with every inhale her breathing got shakier, her throat began to feel as if it was going to close. She dragged her hands down her throat, attempting to sooth it. For a moment, she questioned if she should go.

But the thought of not going was extinguished almost as instantaneously as it had manifested in her head. She walked over to the sink, and opened the faucet, splashing cold water on her face to calm herself down before she emerged from the back, taking off her apron. She approached Sango at the cash register, gently tapping on her shoulder. Sango looked over at her and blinked, before leaning closer to Kagome. “Inuyasha....he’s been in an accident. He’s hurt bad...get everyone out. Now.”

Sango pulled away, and searched Kagome’s face for any sign of her pulling some fucked up joke on her.

But she wasn’t.

This was real.

“Oh my god.” Sango breathed, and stared at Kagome, stunned for a second. “Oh my god....”

“Move!” Kagome ordered, “get them out!”

**“WE’VE HAD AN EMERGENCY, EVERYONE OUT...NOW!”** Was it the most professional way to get everyone out? No. Did Sango particularly care right now? No. There was a far more pressing manner to take care of. She watched as people lazily left the Café and she yelled again, walking around the counter and toward the door, holding it open, ignoring the tirade of insults throw her way. “I’m calling Miroku, were you the first person she told?”

“I... I don’t know.” Kagome responded shakily, hugging herself. “I think so...she didn’t sound calm. I mean I wouldn’t be calm in a situation like this either. I...” She looked up to see that Sango was no longer paying attention to her as she drew in a deep breathe, calling Miroku.

“Hey babe...I have bad news...okay...okay...calm down.... I’m sorry baby.... calm down.... breathe...where are you? His apartment? Can you come to Cafeium and get us? Okay...yes, I can drive...I don’t mind driving at all. Please get here safe.” Sango hung up and hung her head. “He um...he knew already.”

“So, I guess I wasn’t the first to know.” Kagome said, and Sango shook her head.

“No, he...he found out on the news.” Sango responded, causing Kagome to sigh. She looked down at her phone to see a text from Rin.

**Inuyasha was rushed straight to surgery.**

“Oh god, he’s in surgery.” Kagome breathed, clutching her phone. Sango sighed heavily as she moved toward her, wrapping her arms around her friend. “She didn’t say for what.”

They heard a long honk outside and they quickly broke away, looking out of the window as Miroku emerged from his car, he looked disheveled, his hair a mess, and his clothing crumpled and unkempt, as if he’d recently been in a fight. “C’mon, let’s go.” Sango said, as she took Kagome by the hand and led her to the closet where they took out their purses and keys.

“Sango...I don’t do well in hospitals. You know this.” Kagome mumbled, as she followed her friend out of the café quickly, “I’m scared of them.”

“Kagome, you’ll have me and Miroku and Rin and Sesshomaru, you will be fine. But you also must be strong right now. We all must be strong right now. He needs us to be.” Sango said, in part reassuring her friend. She understood, Kagome’s fear of hospitals, it was common, but right now their only focus should be Inuyasha. She gave Miroku a quick kiss on the check as she climbed into the driver’s seat. He’d switched over to the passenger’s seat, leaving Kagome to sit in the back. “Where did she say they were, Kags?” Sango asked, as she looked at her friend through the rearview mirror.

“New York Presbyterian.”

“Okay.” Sango responded, as she put the car in drive, and pulled out of the parking spot.

Kagome bit her lip as she anxiously bounced her leg up and down, staring down at her phone waiting for another text from Rin, or Sesshomaru. Anyone really, that would give her more information. Although she supposed she knew enough, right? He was in an accident, he’s hurt badly, he’s in surgery. That’s really all she needed to know right? Right?

Right?

The car ride was silent as they drove toward the hospital, save for the occasional moments when Miroku could be heard whispering a prayer, asking for his friend’s protection, and Sango’s nervous drumming of her fingers on the steering wheel. She heard her curse lowly under her breath as they approached the parking lot, and Miroku placed a hand on her shoulder. “I have tinted windows, we’re fine. Just find a spot.”

Kagome realized what exactly they were referring to when she noticed the various news stations, and paparazzies that stood at the entrance to the hospital. Above, she could hear a helicopter hovering in the area. “Do they have no respect?” She asked angrily, gripping Sango and Miroku’s seats as she pulled herself forward. Miroku placed a hand over hers and patted her gently.

“There is no respect when you have no privacy, Kagome.” Miroku said bitterly, as Sango pulled into a parking spot and turned off the car. “Kagome I need you to walk in front of Sango and me. I don’t want anyone trying to grab you by behind to try and talk to you.” Kagome nodded her head Miroku’s words, watching as he dragged his hand down his face, sighing heavily. He seemed more tired than anything else in that moment, like the weight of the world had fallen onto his shoulders. She felt bad for him as they sat in silence for a few minutes in the car, none of them being able to bring themselves to open their doors. Sango was the one to break the silence as she cleared her throat and opened her door, Kagome and Miroku following suit.

The second her feet hit the ground; Kagome ran, like a little kid let go at the playground. She pushed past the reporters and journalists and ran into the hospital, only stopping once she arrived at the main desk, where a nurse sat. “Hi, I’m looking for Inu—”

“Kagome!” Rin called from where she sat, rising to her feet as Kagome went over to her, embracing her. “Thank god you’re here.” Rin said, choking back tears. Kagome pulled away from her, dragging her thumb across her cheek.

“Where’s Sesshomaru?” She asked, looking around.

“He’s not here yet...where is Miroku?” Rin asked.

“We’re here.” Miroku said, as he approached the two women, Sango by his side. “We came as soon as we found out.” Miroku added, moving to give Rin’s arm a light squeeze, Kagome nervously shifting in her spot.

“He’s racing against the clock, I know it.” Rin said, pressing her fingers to her lips. “I saw the state of him, and I knew instantly that he was in so much _fucking_ danger and I didn’t know what to do, who to call I—”

“Calm down Rin,” Sango said, as she pulled Rin in for a hug, “Stop it. He will be fine...he’s a strong man, he’ll be fine. He’s a half demon too, remember? It takes a lot to kill one. He will be fine.” She rubbed circles into Rin’s back, and Kagome finally found the strength to move from her spot and ran her fingers through Rin’s hair.

She was surprisingly calm now, or perhaps it was because she was still in shock about the turn that their day had taken. She woke up that morning with a bad feeling in her gut about today, but she figured that it was just from her going to sleep after overthinking.

She didn’t expect this.

Never in a million years did she expect this.

She didn’t think when she signed that contract that she would find herself in the waiting area of a hospital at dusk, comforting his sister-in-law, because he’d gotten into an accident. Then again, she was sure no one wakes up and thinks this would happen.

“I’m here.” She heard Sesshomaru say calmly, as he stood beside Miroku, “I was in traffic. Any updates?”

“It’s fine,” Miroku said, “what matters is that you’re here,” he shook his head at the last question. “We have no updates yet.” He bit his lip for a second as he considered what he had to say. “Sesshomaru can I talk to you in private, please?” He asked lowly, Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow in response as the three women looked in their direction, puzzled.

“Is it urgent?” Sesshomaru asked, running a hand through his hair.

“Yes.” Miroku replied through clenched teeth. Sesshomaru huffed in response, before motioning for Miroku to lead the way. Miroku excused them from the group, and started going down a hallway, trying to find a private place to talk to Sesshomaru. He stopped in front of the doors to the stairs, and pushed one of the doors open, leading Sesshomaru in.

“What’s so urgent.” Sesshomaru asked, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

“There is a very, very strong possibility that he’d spent the entire day drinking today...before the accident.” Miroku said sternly, “I went to his apartment to check on him since he hadn’t answered my calls or texts for two days, and it reeked of alcohol. He was gone already.”

“But he would be too inebriated to even get off his ass.” Sesshomaru said, causing Miroku to roll his eyes at the dog-demon.

“It’s equally possible it he would do something as stupid as this.” Miroku replied, causing Sesshomaru to narrow his golden eyes at him.

“But he’d never done this before.” Sesshomaru said wearily. “Are you implying...”

“He’s been through a lot; I don’t put it past him.” Miroku said weakly, clearing his throat as he looked off to the side.

“I do.” Sesshomaru grumbled in response, balling up his fists. “Did you see any traces of the drug in his apartment?” Miroku shook his head.

“Nothing, I don’t have the sense of smell that you two have, so I can’t even be sure that it’s still there,” he moved out of the way to allow a doctor to get to the door, “I didn’t see any lines.. Rolled up bills, nothing. I think he’s clean in that respect.” Miroku said, sniffling. It was hard to differentiate business from his personal manners, especially when his career was built of off representing his best friend in publicity manners, and while he was hurting, his job still had to be done. “We need to find a way to not let the press find out he was drinking and driving, or the amount of alcohol he’s had...that’s a PR nightmare, and he’s already got a lot against him.”

“Agreed.” Sesshomaru said, rubbing his temples. “But there’s no surefire way to do that. There’s always going to be a gossiping nurse trying to make some extra money by passing off information, or that person hanging around the outside of the room...there’s no way.”

“No there is,” Miroku said, shrugging his shoulders. “We can ask to be given information in private, and have it be relayed by one doctor. Minimize the amount of staff that take of him while he’s here.”

“Minimize his care then? He’s merely a half-demon, you’re insane.” Sesshomaru growled. “There has to be a better—”

“Do you have a better fucking idea, Sesshomaru?” Miroku spat back, his jaw clenched. Sesshomaru closed his mouth, looking down at his feet for a second before looking back up.

“Kagome isn’t working.” Sesshomaru said suddenly, trying to change the subject. “We’re wasting money on her.”

“What do you _MEAN?”_ Miroku asked, bewildered, spreading his arms out. “Yes, she is, don’t drag her into this when she’s not the problem here. The problem here is your fucking brother Sesshomaru. He's uncontrollable. Nothing we do is helping, especially not now. A celebrity just got into a car accident, what the fuck do you expect the tabloids to do? Talk about Kagome’s selfie instead?!”

“Wait...” Sesshomaru said suddenly, “that’s it. A selfie.”

“What?” Miroku asked, confused. “The fuck? A selfie?”

“Yes, a picture. There’s nothing the tabloids are going to eat up more than this...than her posting a selfie right in this moment, while she’s here.” Sesshomaru said, “Think about it, she’d be viewed in a negative light, taking the attention away from this to her. It wouldn’t focus so much on what happened in the accident, or why...instead they would focus on how wrong it is for her to post that in such a terrible moment.”

“I feel terrible just talking about this.” Miroku admitted, looking over his shoulder. He felt like a fool, worrying more about how the media will find out about Inuyasha’s alcoholism instead of worrying about his well-being. “I don’t think she’ll agree to this.” Miroku said, giving Sesshomaru a serious look. “That’s social suicide, she’ll get ripped to shreds by the media.”

_But dammit,_ Miroku cursed, _it’s a good idea._

Sesshomaru blinked at Miroku, “it’s the media. They will forget. Look at how they forgot about that fight at the club a few months ago already.”

“They forgot because of Kagome.” Miroku muttered, realizing that he was proving Sesshomaru’s point exactly.

“My point exactly.” Sesshomaru responded, sticking his hands into his pockets. “Then, after a few days they’ll find something else to talk about, as always.”

“But that’s still putting her through emotional turmoil that I really don’t think she nee—”

“It’s temporary.” Sesshomaru shot back quickly. “She’s being paid to be arm candy, might as well be useful.”

Miroku sighed as he reluctantly agreed to talk to Kagome, his heart in his throat. He felt horrible about submitting her to this type of media treatment, especially when the whole purpose of hiring her was to put Inuyasha in a positive light...although he supposed that making her do this would shed some positive light on him. He cleared his throat as he walked down the hallway, back toward the women. It was just Sango and Kagome now, it seemed as though Rin had gone somewhere. His voice faltered slightly as he said Kagome’s name, and crouched down to her, placing his fingertips on her knees as he looked up to her. He tried to tell her without words how sorry he was to do this to her.

“Yes?” She asked innocently, “What’s wrong?” She asked, wiping a tear away from her eye. The wait for any type of news from the surgeon was agonizing, and she was already beginning to think the worst. The surgery was taking much longer than she had anticipated.

“Kagome...we, Sesshomaru and I, need you to do something for us...to distract the media.” Miroku said wearily, “It’s going to be a rough few days afterwards, but please understand that by doing this you are saving Inuyasha from a PR nightmare...okay?” He said slowly, and low, careful as to not let anyone else in the waiting area know. Why they hadn’t been transferred to a private area, he had no idea. 

“Um...okay.” Kagome responded, squinting her eyes slightly at him, and glancing up at Sesshomaru who merely looked away.

_How serious could this be?_

“We need you to post a selfie, try to find an old picture of you at the beach or at a party in college or something. And post it.” Miroku said, watching Kagome take on a look of disbelief.

“What?” She asked softly, raising an eyebrow. “You want me to...post a selfie?”

“Anything. Something that can take attention away from Inuyasha and to you. The point is to shift the media’s point of interest from him, to you.” Miroku clarified, nodding his head. “Can you do that for us, please?”

“She’s not doing that.” Sango responded in defense. “What the fuck is wrong with you? I can’t believe you would even ask that of her!” She whisper-yelled, her eyes widening as she wrapped an arm around her friend.

“Look, we know this sounds really, _really,_ fucked up. But this can turn into a literal PR nightmare for Inuyasha and he really doesn’t need any more.”

_He really doesn’t need the world knowing what he’s battling in private, i_ s what Miroku really wanted to say, but to say that he would have to tell Kagome and Sango what he battles, and it wasn’t his place to do so. “Please Kagome...it’ll all be over in a few days. We promise.” Miroku said, taking her hands in his. “Kagome...I know he hasn’t exactly been a gentleman to you. I know he’s a pain in the ass, I know he’s an asshole, and a jerk sometimes...but right now he needs you to do this for him.”

Kagome pulled her hands away, glaring at Miroku. “No.” She said firmly. “He wouldn’t do the same for me.”

“I promise you he would.” Miroku said, desperation filling his voice. “Please just do this one thing.”

Kagome paused for a second, taking note of the desperation in his voice, and Sesshomaru’s disapproving glare at her. She realized that this wasn’t so much to help Inuyasha, but rather to help Miroku. Afterall, it was Miroku’s job to make _him_ look good, not her. She was just there as a boost to his image. Sighing, she nodded her head in reluctant agreement. “Okay,” she said wearily, pulling out her phone and opening her camera app, beginning to scroll.

“Thank you...” Miroku breathed, “I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”

Kagome ignored him as she scrolled through her phone, the first few latest photos were of her and Inuyasha, the day they went out to eat with Miroku and Sango. She let her finger hoover above the images for a moment, admiring his smile for a second, how his teeth seemed perfectly aligned and his fangs glimmered from the flash in the photo. His arm resting on the back of her chair, as she looked away from the camera, taking a sip of whatever drink she was having that night. It was a staged photo, obviously, but it was still nice regardless. “Does this work?” Kagome said, as she turned her phone toward Miroku, who looked up to Sesshomaru for approval.

“Acceptable.” Sesshomaru said, nodding. “That’ll do.”

“Okay.” Kagome said, turning her phone back to herself, and pressing the option to post the photo on Instagram, writing a short caption about how worried she was (which she was). She pressed post and looked at Miroku. “Done.” She said, sighing.

“What’s done?” Rin asked, emerging from around the corner with coffees. Sesshomaru moved to take a coffee from one of the cup holders. He took the cup holder in his free hand, and passed it to Miroku, who took out the other. She handed the other cupholder to Sango.

“Oh nothing, she was just sending a text to Myouga about what’s going on for me. My phone died.” Miroku lied. The last thing they needed is Rin knowing that Kagome wasn’t actually Inuyasha’s girlfriend. She tended to ramble about things, and was generally left in the dark about Inuyasha’s problems...lest she go and babble on at work.

“The family of Inuyasha Takahashi?” The voice of a woman called, causing Miroku to jump to his full length. They turned their attention to her, holding their breath.

“Yes, that’s us.” He said, he pointed to Sesshomaru, “that’s his half-brother.”

The woman looked at him up and down, and cleared her throat, directing her speech toward Sesshomaru. “Would you follow me, sir?”

Nodding, Sesshomaru reluctantly followed the woman down the hall and into a conference room, where she could deliver news privately to him. He took a seat across from her, and cleared his throat before he spoke, nervous. “Is he okay?”

“Well...he’s better than when he got here.” The surgeon said, sitting back in her chair. “He came in in pretty bad shape. Lacerations on his pancreas, and liver. He broke three ribs in the crash, so he did have a collapsed lung when he arrived as a result of one of the ribs puncturing it, so we had to put a chest tube in place to help with that. He had a few deep gashes on his head that we sutured, and he had a few pieces of glass embedded in his skin, particularly around his neck and shoulders area.”

Sesshomaru nodded, “So I suppose the worst of the injuries were internal?”

“Yes,” the surgeon responded, nodding, “He was very close. But we got him. He’s in stable condition right now, Mr...”

“Takahashi.” Sesshomaru finished for her.

“Mr. Takahashi, sorry. I do have a few more things to talk to you about, however. They’re regarding your brother’s health.”

“Okay.” Sesshomaru responded, shifting in his seat. He already knew what was coming, he knew his brother was a heavy drinker and that it would have long-term effects on his health. It was common knowledge, but he would stay for her lecture just for her own amusement.

“When we ran his blood tests, we found that he had been consuming an alarming amount of alcohol. His CDT levels were incredibly high, which can be life-threatening in the long run. It can lead to liver cirrhosis, which can ultimately— if not properly taken care of— lead to liver failure, which is a much worse problem, we will be recommending that he joins an AA meeting, or check himself into rehab, but again since they’re treatments that are out of our control, we cannot guarantee that he will take the suggestion. He will definitely need the support of his friends and family for that.”

“Yes, of course.” Sesshomaru said, “I had no idea my little brother was such a heavy drinker, he claimed he only ever drank after his fights, or when he’d go out to dinner with friends.” The surgeon nodded, a sympathetic look in her eyes.

“Often times, it’s not as obvious to us what our loved ones are doing behind closed doors.” She offered, “Many times people feel ashamed of it, so they try to hide it. But you can’t always hide big secrets.”

“Correct.” Sesshomaru responded, nodding. “Absolutely.”

“Another thing as well,” The surgeon said, “we ran a toxicity screen on him, it’s standard for nasty, single driver crashes, and we did pick up traces of benzoylecgonine and ecgonine methyl ester. These are two metabolites that often come up with cocaine usage. Usually someone will test for one or the other. He tested positive for both.” The surgeon said. She paused for a moment to allow Sesshomaru time to process her words. “Because of that, we are pushing to get Inuyasha into rehab, so he can successfully go back to being a healthy individual. As an athlete, his health is obviously of utmost importance for many reasons. But again, we cannot submit him against his will. He must agree.”

_The bastard actually did it,_ Sesshomaru thought, as he looked down at her chart, watching as she fidgeted with the pen between his hands. “I had absolutely no idea...” Sesshomaru breathed. “I... thought he would never...”

“It appears that he’s only recently started using. He didn’t have any of the side effects of long-term cocaine usage.” She offered. “As I’ve said before, he _is_ in stable conditions, if you and your family would like to go see him. However, he should still be under the effects of the anesthesia from the surgery.”

“Okay, thank you...Doctor....” he paused, allowing her to give him her name, his hand outstretched to hers.

“Yura.” She responded, smiling as she took his hand in her own, giving him a firm shake.

“Dr. Yura. Thank you for taking care of my brother.” He said, bowing slightly.

“Certainly, it’s what doctors are here for.” She responded and turned to open the door. “I’ll walk back with you to gather your family and take you to his room.”

Sesshomaru didn’t respond as he walked down the hall with the doctor trying his best to contain his anger at his brother.

How **_dared_** he do this to him. To Miroku.

They’ve worked just as hard as he did to gain their wealth, they changed their entire lives to accommodate his. They’ve worked just as **_hard_** for his dream as he had.

And now that they had it all, wealth, freedom, a fresh start.

He was going to ruin it all with his stupid habits?!

His...his desire to feel _something._

_What do you even want to feel!?_ Sesshomaru wondered as he approached the group. “We can see him, he’s stable.” He said plainly, still angry, still wondering as he let the group stampede past him, following the doctor.

“It’s a goddamn miracle you’re alive, Inuyasha.” Sesshomaru said to himself as he turned on his heel, trailing behind them, his hands balled up in fists at his sides. “

“A fucking. God. Damn. Miracle.”


	23. "Hold My Tongue"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am...so sorry this took so long. I kept editing the chapter because I was (for some reason) extremely picky with this one but I finally got it in a way I liked it! Hope everyone who celebrated thanksgiving had a great one!

Sesshomaru sauntered into the hospital room, his eyes quickly darting over to the sleeping form of his brother’s friend. “Miroku.” He said plainly, leaning against the doorframe, he received no response. “Miroku. Get up, it’s morning now.” He added, moving toward Miroku and placing a hand on his shoulder to shake him awake. 

“Wha-“ Miroku stirred awake, rubbing his eyes with his palms as he blinked and stretched, his body sore from sitting in the seat next to Inuyasha the whole night. “What time is it? Has he woken up?” 

“No.” Sesshomaru responded, running a hand through his hair, “and it’s early. Go.” 

“But what about—“ Sesshomaru raised a clawed hand, signaling that he wasn’t going to argue with the monk. 

Miroku knew better than to protest further. Inuyasha’s wrath was bad, but Sesshomaru’s mild annoyance was worse. “Alright.” He nodded, glancing for a moment at the sleeping body of the hanyou, watching as he stirred gently in his sleep. “Don’t be tough on him, Sesshomaru.” 

“We’re in this situation because I’ve been lenient with him his entire life. We both know this.” Sesshomaru responded, hardened eyes staring at his brother’s sleeping, battered body. 

“You weren’t lenient, Sesshomaru. You were busy.” 

_ Busy _ . 

Of course, he’d been busy. He was busy trying to balance his university studies with keeping his household afloat. His household that consisted of an alcoholic drug addict of a father and a wild, untamed, un-fucking-lovable little brother, and a more than just absent step mother. 

And now he was, playing daddy again. Filling the role that their own father should’ve been filling, giving Inuyasha the lectures their own father should be dealing with. Not him. He was tired of the fucking responsibility, the constant calls from jails with Inuyasha asking him to post bail, the brawls, the frequent drunken nights where Miroku found himself with more than he could handle. He–

“Fuck.” Inuyasha hissed as he clawed at the nasal cannula on his face, the plastic bothering him. He gasped as he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his side, and he looked over with blurry, unfocused vision. Golden eyes following the thick tube down to where fluid was being collected from his body. He attempted, with his free arm to push his body up, trying to sit upright, but the pain was unbearable. “This hurts like a bitch!” He whispered to himself.

Sesshomaru’s head turned in the direction of Inuyasha, who’d seemed to have stirred awake from his sleep. He’d attempted to sit up in his bed, but yelped in pain when he felt a stabbing sensation in his side. Miroku leaned forward in his seat, reaching out to place a hand on Inuyasha’s arm. Sesshomaru stayed silent. 

“You’re awake. Hi.” Miroku said lowly, watching as Inuyasha blinked in confusion, and his eyes wandered around the room. “You...got into a pretty nasty car accident, Inuyasha. We thought we’d lose you.” 

“An accident? Lose me?” Inuyasha glanced up at Sesshomaru, a pained expression on his face, he found himself gasping every few words for air.  _ Fuck that tube hurt like a bitch. _ “Sesshomaru.” 

“Little brother.” He acknowledged. “Hello.” 

“What is Miroku talking about?” He said breathlessly. 

“Oh? You got into an accident.” He bit his tongue. He wanted so badly to tear into his brother, preferably with his bare hands but his words would have to suffice today. However, he didn’t want to deal with Miroku, who’s loyalty to his brother was blinding. He would stand by him no matter what, and that type of loyalty was the most dangerous. “Miroku, would you mind giving us a few minutes?” Sesshomaru asked, hinting subtly toward the door, his hands shoved into the back pockets of his jeans. Miroku nodded in response, and gave Inuyasha a light squeeze on his arm before getting up and leaving the room. Sesshomaru waited for the door to close, before he walked around the chair Miroku was in and sat down at his place. 

“You.” Sesshomaru started, crossing his legs as he pointed a clawed finger at his brother. Inuyasha jerked back in reaction. “I’m going to stoop down to your level, maybe then, little brother, will you  _ listen.  _ You little piece of shit.” 

“What the fuck—“ 

“How dare you!” Sesshomaru hissed, anger seeping through his words. “You...are going to prison for real this time. Is that clear to you? Drunk and using cocaine? Have you actually  _ lost _ your  _ mind _ ? Or did you never fucking have it in the first place? Are those blows to the head finally catching up? Are you actively trying to kill yourself? Do you want more attention than you already have?!” There was a desperation in his voice that Inuyasha hadn’t heard since he was a young boy, and it frightened him as he attempted to slide as far away from his brother as the bed allowed him to, fighting against the pain of moving. “You could have  _ KILLED _ someone, god fucking damn it.  **_KILLED_ ** someone. Do you have any idea what the consequences of that are? Do you have any idea what would happen to you if you had?” 

Sesshomaru took a deep breath to steady his breathing. His hands shaky, but pressed together and laying in his lap as he stared at his brother, golden eyes smoldering with anger. His brother’s own golden eyes filled with hatred. 

He  _ wished _ he could muster up enough balls to hate the only man in his immediate family who actually gave a fuck about him like Inuyasha did. 

But alas, Sesshomaru was not Inuyasha. He was Sesshomaru. 

He was just…tired. Tired of Inuyasha constantly going down the wrong path, or managing to fuck up something that should be  _ good  _ for him. 

“Remember when we first started this contract with Kagome, I told you that if you messed it up I would destroy you?” Inuyasha nodded his head shakily, never seeing this type of anger and hurt radiating from his brother before. He couldn’t throw in a snarky remark like he usually did. He couldn’t yell at him, he didn’t dare to, actually. He sat in silence, huddled in the corner of his bed like a scared little boy. 

Like the scared little boy he still was, deep down. 

Only he wouldn’t admit it. 

“Good,” there was a pause as Sesshomaru licked his lips, and looked up to the ceiling sighing, “in cause I wasn’t clear enough...let me reiterate for you, okay?” 

“Okay...” 

“I will destroy you, Inuyasha. I will liquidate your assets to fucking hell. I will end all your contracts. I will sell your fucking apartment. I’ll sell your chateau in Vermont. I’ll sell your apartment in Japan too. And you know what I’ll do? I’ll burn through all that cash. Set it all on fucking fire in my backyard and leave you with nothing. I’ll murder you with my bare fucking hands because how fucking  **_DARE_ ** you throw your life, your career away like this? Inuyasha?! How?! What’s your fucking reasoning,” he was driving his finger into the side of his head forcefully, his claw digging into his skin. 

“I-“ Inuyasha squeaked, squirming under the angry gaze of his brother, wishing he could pull the covers up over himself and hide until he was gone. Sesshomaru’s anger had triggered a response in Inuyasha that had laid dormant for years. 

A feeling he remembered all too well from his childhood, that he’d spent the last few years building up walls to guard himself from feeling ever again. 

Belittled. 

Hated. 

_ Scared.  _

“ **_SPEAK_ ** !” His brother bellowed again, sitting on the edge of the chair. Inuyasha flinched in response, gulping as he felt his heart rate go up. His hands clenched the sheets, trying to keep them from trembling. 

He felt like crying, a lump formed in his throat. 

Why did he feel like crying? 

“ **Stop acting like our father** !” He was finally able to find his voice after quite literally being bullied into the corner by his brother. He squeezed his eyes together as his hand flew to his side, barely grazing the area where the chest tube was inserted. He felt like he needed to take a deep breath, bug breathing was hard. It felt odd being the one bullied into the corner for once. Sesshomaru blinked hard as he took in Inuyasha's words, rolling them around in his mind. 

Stop acting like their father? Had he gone absolutely mental? 

“The only person acting like father here is you, Inuyasha.” Sesshomaru responded lowly, calmly. Somehow his reverting into his usual tone was more unsettling for Inuyasha than his yelling. “You’re the alcoholic, the drug addict. You’re the one who treats the ones around him like shit. You’re the one blaming everyone but yourself for your actions—“ 

“That’s not tru—“ 

“I’m not done.” Sesshomaru interrupted, his tone harsher on the last insult. “If it hadn’t been for your uselessness and your mother’s vile ways, our father would’ve been ten times the man I am, and one hundred times the piece of shit you are.” He rolled up the sleeves of his shirt slightly, sighing as he dusted himself off. He’d been waiting years to get that off of his chest.  _ Years _ . It felt good to finally tell Inuyasha what he was without holding back. “You’re the splitting image of that sorry excuse of a man, unable to do better for himself.” 

There were some insults that barely scratched the surface, and there were others that cut deep into the core like they’re intended to. They’re driven in like nails into the exact spot where they know they’ll latch on the most, and they stay there. Inuyasha had been called many things by his brother and he had called him many things back. They were notorious for insulting one another but this was more than an insult. 

This was a drag. A drag that had been pent up inside Sesshomaru ever since he started noticing the path Inuyasha had taken in his life. A drag that he’d wished he could yell to Inuyasha back in Japan every time he was taken back into Juvenile detention. Every single time he or Miroku had to go to Inuyasha’s apartment because he hadn’t showed up for training in 3 days, he thought of this. Every time Myouga threatened to walk out on them, he thought of this. Sesshomaru had wanted so  _ fucking  _ bad to say this to Inuyasha. Tell him how similar he’d become to their father. How he was the splitting image of him now, his back against the rail guard of the hospital bed, his eyes filled with anger and defiance as Sesshomaru loomed over him, glaring him down. 

“I  _ hate  _ you, Inuyasha. I  _ hate  _ that I even share a  _ fucking  _ last name with someone as worthless as you. Someone as stupid, ungrateful, uneducated as  _ you _ .” Sesshomaru seethed, eyes smoldering with anger. “Miroku and I are trying  _ everything we  _ **_fucking can_ ** to help you.  **Everything** . Do you think I like the fact that we hired that girl for you? Do you think I enjoy the fact that somehow, someway my entire life has been dedicated to trying to make yours work,  _ little brother _ ?” 

“Then fucking  _ quit _ , Sesshomaru.” Inuyasha responded, his voice breaking, but his resolve was unwavering. “Go ahead. Quit. I don’t need you. I never fucking needed you. You were just in it for the  _ fucking money.  _ You wanted your fair fucking share.” He added lowly, looking up at his brother, matching the intensity of his stare. He wasn’t going to allow Sesshomaru to make him feel small and belittled. He’d had his entire childhood and adolescence for that. He was a fucking man now, and he’d be damned if he was going to allow his brother of all people to treat him like a stupid little boy. His body hurt, he felt his head begin to throb with pain and the tube that was stabbed into his chest wasn’t making things any better for him, but he wasn’t going to show that. 

“I’m not going to quit.” Sesshomaru responded hastily, “I am going to wait for this train wreck with you. I’m going to watch you weep over the wreckage that was your short lived career. And then I’ll take everything away from you.” 

“That’s never going to happen.” Inuyasha bit out, growling under his breath, “you ain’t takin’ shit from me.” 

“Watch me, Inuyasha.” Sesshomaru spat back, folding his arms over his chest. “Fucking. Watch me.” 

“You’re fired.” Inuyasha growled back. “I never wanna see you ever again, you hear me? From now on Totosai is running anything that has to do with financials and whatever else I have goin’ on. Leave.” He motioned with his head toward the door, his jaw clenched.

“I said I’m not leaving—” 

“It wasn’t a fucking question, dipshit.” Inuyasha growled back, sitting up. “Leave. Get off my dick, Sesshomaru.”

Sesshomaru smirked, and shrugged his shoulders, shoving his hands back into his pocket. “ _ Otōto, anata ga nozomu yō ni _ .” He responded slowly, taking one of his hands out of his pockets to grab his brother’s face, digging his claws into his cheeks. He brought his face level to his, tilting it as he spoke. “As you wish, little brother.” He pushed his little brother back, ignoring the groan in pain that came from him as he turned his back and walked out of the hospital room. 

“ **FUCK YOU**!” He heard his brother yell at him as he made his way down the hallway, but he ignored it. Inuyasha was no longer his responsibility, and the feeling of freedom was a breath of a fresh air for the exasperated demon. He felt as if a weight had been pulled off of his shoulders the farther he got from his room, rolling his shoulders as if to relieve pressure that’d been on them for far too long. It was going to be a pleasure to watch his brother’s fall from grace without him. Miroku’s scent lingered in the hallway, but it was weak, meaning he must have left some time ago. 

With a swift moment, he fished his phone out of his pocket and scrolled through until he found Miroku’s contact information, sending him a simple text message that read:  **Inuyasha has—for all intents and purposes—, fired me. I no longer control his financials or contracts as of this moment. He claims Totosai shall... but I don’t trust him. Do you suppose perhaps his other lawyer will?...what was his name again? Jaken? I’ll be catching the next flight to Japan for a week or so. Don’t bother texting back. Just letting you know.**

He pressed send and within a couple of minutes felt his phone vibrating in his hand excessively, with dropped calls and frantic text messages from Miroku, most of them saying the same “CALL ME NOW!” message and some variant of “ARE YOU SERIOUS?” But he simply ignored the messages and opened the american airlines app on his phone, booking a ticket for the next red eye to Japan. He needed to get the  _ fuck  _ away from Inuyasha, lest he go losing his mind any more than he already had over the years. But, it felt good to finally not have a responsibility to him. 

God, it felt so good. 

So. Fucking. Good. 

He kissed his teeth as he mulled over what exactly to tell Rin. He couldn’t outright tell her that he wouldn’t be in contact with his brother any more, or else she would make it her mission to make sure they were back in speaking terms. He wanted to avoid having to tell her he’s going to Japan, even though it wouldn’t be for long, just long enough for him to clear his head and get over his anger because  _ fuck  _ he was so angry with him. 

He’d need a drink. 

Preferably a good Vieux Carre. 

He pushed open the heavy metal doors that lead to the stairway, preferring to avoid the awkward interaction with strangers on the elevator and briskly walked past the desk at the main lobby, ripping off his visitor badge and throwing it onto the desk. He mentally prepared himself for the questions he would be asked by the few brave paparazzi that dared to hang by the doors, despite the hospital making it very clear they would be escorted away from the vicinity and–

Why did he even care? This was no longer his problem. 

_ “Sesshomaru! Sesshomaru, care to tell us how Inuyasha is doing?”  _

_ “Sesshomaru how is Kagome dealing with everything?”  _

_ “Any thoughts on when he’ll be back in the octagon?”  _

_ “Are his next fights cancelled?”  _

“He’s in stable condition.” Sesshomaru responded in passing, ignoring the better half of the questions, except for one. “Kagome is doing as well as you would expect anyone to do when your partner was in an accident such as the one Inuyasha was in. His representatives and I ask that you please respect his and our family’s privacy while he recovers, and refrain from asking any more work related questions. Thank you.” He waved the following questions off as he made his way to the parking lot, turning on his Range Rover with a press of his key fob. He opened the door and climbed into the car, slamming the door shut behind him as he leaned forward, resting his head in the steering wheel. 

He was exhausted, though he wouldn’t show it. The amount of emotional manipulation and just downright entitlement that he had witnessed from this brother seemed to grow exponentially any time he got away with something. He was lucky that police officers were easily bribed, and even luckier that he had someone like Miroku who did anything they could to keep his problems out of the public eye, including breaking the law. Sesshomaru wasn’t loyal enough to risk his license for that, much less for his brother. Hell, he wasn’t even loyal at all. 

He sighed as he put the Range Rover in gear and pulled out of the driveway, heading toward a bar he knew. It was the only bar he ever went to whenever he felt the urge to drink, which unlike his brother, was extremely rare. The ride to the bar was extremely quiet, save for the noisy city streets outside. He always preferred Calabasas to New York City, but Miroku figured that getting Inuyasha further away from the glitz and glamor of the epicentre of celebrity life would slow down his pace of life. Sesshomaru snorted at the thought. 

What about New York City screamed “slower lifestyle”? Maybe lower profile, sure. But there was no stopping Inuyasha, he’d made that very clear. 

Abundantly clear. Crystal  _ fucking  _ clear, if he would. One thing was for sure though, moving to New York had greatly lessened the amount of women he and Miroku would have to kick out of Inuyasha’s hotel rooms and house. That was one part of the west coast life that he definitely did  _ not  _ miss. Perhaps Kagome was doing her job after all. He sighed as he parked his car, and got out of it, locking it with a press of a button on his key fob. He pushed open the door and was instantly met with a fog of cigarette smoke, the establishment smelled of spilled liquor. There was a film on the floor composed of substances that he wouldn’t dare to touch. It was a hole in the wall place, but he didn’t mind going as it was demon owned, and primarily served demons. It meant no one would attempt to make small talk with him, and he was free to enjoy a drink or two in peace. He grumbled as he kicked aside an empty bottle, and settled into a seat at the bar. “Yamazaki. Neat. Double.” He ordered simply, running a hand through his hair before pulling it up into a ponytail. 

_ How the fuck has it only been 4 months of this...fake relationship?,  _ Sesshomaru wondered, gently running his claws along his scalp. 

“Rough day, huh...Sesshomaru?” He heard a familiar nasally voice ask, Sesshomaru glanced in the direction of the voice taking in the figure of Myouga who sat a seat away, swirling the last of his gin and tonic. “I was thinking of stopping by the hospital. Ended up deciding not to.” 

“I suppose one could say that.” Sesshomaru sighed in response, he thanked the bartender under his breath when his drink was placed down in front of him. He picked it up and swirled it for a moment, before taking a tip and setting the glass back down gingerly. “Inuyasha is…” he paused to gather his words, “unbearable.” 

“I’m aware.” Myouga said, a slightly amused bite to his words. “I’ve watched that boy grow up just as you have. I’ve been training him since he started doing this sport. Every year he seems to grow more and more unmanageable. He surprisingly hasn’t lost his discipline for the sport however, and that’s really all I care about. I could give a damn what he does otherwise.” 

“That’s what you think.” Sesshomaru grumbled under his breath. “I take it you know about the accident and the circumstances surrounding it?” He assumed that Miroku had the decency to inform Inuyasha’s trainer of all people about the accident. After he had informed Miroku of what the doctor said, he remembered him muttering something about having to tell Myouga, although if he had done that, the Inu daiyoukai had no idea.

“Aye,” Myouga said bitterly, sipping on the last of his gin and tonic, before ordering a beer. “The nerve of that boy is unsettling.” 

“Alarming.” Sesshomaru added, taking another sip of his drink. “The ungratefulness—“ 

“No.” Myouga cut Sesshomaru off, “Inuyasha is not ungrateful. What he needs is guidance...a mentor.” 

“Are you not one?” 

“He needs someone who cares for him.” 

“He’s got plenty of adoring fans.” 

“Sesshomaru.” Myouga said sternly, sighing. ”You know just as much as I do the type of upbringing that young man has had….it wasn’t a pretty one. He was involved with gangs, ran with the wrong crowd, stole cars, sold drugs. All for what–to keep himself clothed? Fed? Because we both know his father was less than a deadbeat. He was absent. Completely and totally absent. Either high or drunk off of his damn ass every single day.” 

“Are you implying Inuyasha has turned out the way he has because of  _ me?”  _ Sesshomaru seethed. He had no patience, today especially. He wasn’t going to put up with people pointing fingers at him, like Inuyasha was his fault. “I tried my best–“ 

“No one is saying you didn’t.” Myouga responded calmly, worrying the watch on his wrist. “No one is blaming you. Although that you would jump to that conclusion is...well, telling of  _ some  _ guilt.” 

There was a pause. 

“Guilt of what? I did what I could to help him. I was in University. Inuyasha should have applied himself to his studies like I did instead of-of... _ those things.”  _

“Not everyone deals with their situations the same way you do Sesshomaru.” Myouga said, taking a swig of his beer. He heard the bar stool creak, causing him to finally turn his head and look at the young demon. “Oh? Leaving already?” 

“I don’t need a lecture from you.” Sesshomaru said plainly, slamming down some money on the counter as he finished his drink. 

“You sound just like your brother, sometimes.” Myouga said, chuckling quietly to himself. 

“Myouga. Don’t ever draw similarities between us.” Sesshomaru said, as he turned, fishing his keys out of his pocket. “I mean that.” He added, narrowing his eyes at the flea demon. 

“Was just pointing out something I’ve noticed.” Myouga responded, shrugging his shoulders as he stirred his drink, clearing his throat as Sesshomaru walked out. 

* * *

The silence in his room was deafening, aside from the low hum of the machines he was hooked up to, and the beeping of his monitor. Every once in a while, he would hear Kagome clear her throat as she flipped through the book she was reading. She arrived a few hours after Sesshomaru had left, and he quite frankly didn’t have the strength to shoo her out of his room. And so she sat in the chair next to him, her legs folded under her body as she enthusiastically read her book, every once in a while reading out a passage to him.

He wasn’t necessarily listening, however he did offer a little “hm” to appease her every once in a while. Inuyasha was more interested in replaying the morning’s events in his head, constantly hearing his brother's words over and over again. But it wasn’t so much his words that he was worried about...Inuyasha hadn’t ever heard Sesshomaru curse as much as he had that morning. Sure, he’d heard him mumble a “shit” or “fuck” every so often; he’d never heard  _ that  _ come out of his brother’s mouth. And he never thought he would, but it seemed Inuyasha had once again royally fucked up. He bit his lower lip as he crumpled his eyebrows in thought. He knew he had to change. It wasn’t as if he was in denial of having a problem...er, problems. 

He hadn’t seen that amount of anger flair up in Sesshomaru since...well, frankly he hadn’t ever seen it, period. He wasn’t even sure Sesshomaru was capable of feeling anything other than mild annoyance until today, and he wasn’t sure how he felt about it either. Part of Inuyasha agreed with Sesshomaru. It was time for him to stop. He had to grow up, put down the bottle and get  _ help.  _ He had to stop, or else he’d end up like his father. He shivered as he thought about that possibility. Inuyasha had always told himself that no matter what happened he would rather die than become anything like his father. 

_ It looks like the more I try to be less like him...the more I turn into him.  _ He thought to himself, biting his bottom lip.  _ I fucked up.  _ “Well...I can’t admit to Sesshomaru that I messed up this time.” Inuyasha whispered to himself. Sesshomaru had a tendency to restrict his freedom more on the rare occasions Inuyasha admitted he was wrong. His controlling tendencies would go into full swing.  _ I’ll just hold my tongue.  _

He sighed as he closed his eyes and sat back in his hospital bed. Kagome cleared her throat as read her book quietly by his side, sipping on a cup of coffee. “How do you feel?” She asked softly, briefly glancing in his direction. 

_ Honestly?  _

“Like shit.” Inuyasha responded, scoffing at her. 

  
  



	24. "I Care"

She’d come to visit him without asking. She  didn’t call, she  didn’t text. She just appeared at the entrance of his apartment, just as he was moving from the living room to his kitchen. And so, he froze. Indigo eyes staring as his body froze in its position, black hair falling over his shoulder, his uninjured hand gently pushing against his surgery site. His immediate reaction was anger. Who the fuck was she to come sauntering into his apartment like she lived there? Why would she do that? Had she no respect for personal boundaries. It was quite clear to him that their level of friendship was  _ just  _ beginning after four months of constant  belligerence on both sides. He could smell her before the elevator door had  opened before her sneaker-clad foot had even stepped over from the elevator onto the marble of his floor. His second reaction was panic as he struggled to figure out what to do with himself. He was shirtless, and had on nothing but a pair of underwear, so he dashed to his closet, and slammed the door shut just as she rounded the corner to where he  would’ve been . 

“Shit.” He whispered to himself, “shitshitshitshitshit.” His cheeks flushed red with embarrassment as his eyes darted around his closet, looking for anything—

_ Found them!  _

A tan hand reached for the folded pair of black sweatpants, and he quickly stuffed one leg into them and then another, almost tripping over a shoe as he pulled them up. 

“ Inuyasha ?” He could hear her voice call out,  stifled slightly by the heavy wooden door of his closet. “I know you’re here!” 

_ Yeah, I bet you do,  _ he thought to himself, finding a hair tie on the floor that he used to pull his hair back into a messy bun at the base of his neck. Sighing, he opened the door and walked out, wincing slightly at the pain in his side. He feared having to deal with recovering from a surgery on one of his human nights, but so far it  hadn’t been that bad. Aside from the pain being  less bearable than before. “What the hell are you doing here?” He asked once he met her at the kitchen. “Weren’t you taught to call or text or something before you just  _ show up  _ at someone’s house?” 

“Well, I would,” Kagome responded, crossing her arms. “Except that  _ someone’s  _ phone kept going to voicemail every time we call.”  Inuyasha rolled his eyes in response. “We considered doing a wellness check on you, you know.” Her brown eyes stared at his eyes, that despite the loss of amber color still held that brilliant defiance that she found amusing. 

“Whoops.”  Inuyasha responded, shrugging his shoulders. “Guess I forgot to activate my new phone.” 

Kagome gave him a  tightlipped smile, squinting her eyes at him. “Hmm, I’m sure you did.” 

“Honest.” He responded sarcastically, mirroring her by crossing his arms, “I truly just forgot.” 

“ Oh, did you?” 

“I did.” 

“How interesting.” Kagome said, as she set her purse down on his kitchen counter. “How are you?  I’ve called and texted multiple times since you got out of the hospital last week. Miroku has as well, so has Sango and Rin. You didn’t answer any of us.” 

“ Well, you’re staring at me now, why don’t you tell me if I look fine.” 

“You do look fine.” Kagome  responded; her tone smug.  Inuyasha smirked in response. 

“ I know I am.” 

There was  a fleeting moment of silence as Kagome took a deep breath and balled up her fist. She was mildly annoyed that the  hanyou could make light of his friends concern for him. “ Ya’know , I'm pretty sure if you guys were actually concerned, one of  ya’s would’ve come over much sooner.” He shrugged his shoulders once more, slightly amused at the angry look in her eyes. “You cool?” 

“As a  _ fucking  _ cucumber.” Kagome responded, once again giving him an empty smile. “I’m sorry. I just hadn’t realized that you could blow everyone off after having a surgery, and a chest tub, and getting into a bad car crash and just...chill out.” 

He laughed, turning around. His hand reached up to a cabinet from which he took out a bottle. Kagome’s eyes trailed up the muscles in his back, before following his hand to what he set down on the counter. “You can’t have that.” She said, going around the counter to try to snatch it from him. But he was stronger than her, and his hand was wrapped around the neck of the bottle  firmly . “You’ve barely been out for a week, and I’m almost positive that some Jose Cuervo is  _ not  _ what was prescribed to you.” 

“Well, it’s not for me, wench.” He lied, grabbing a clean shot glass from off the counter, “it’s for you.” He pulled the bottle enough so that Kagome’s hand slipped off, and opened it, pouring  its contents into the glass. He slid it over to her, his eyes flickering between the glass and her face. “What?  It’s yours. Drink up.” 

_ He did it again,  _ she thought to herself as she reluctantly took the shot and slammed the glass down on the counter. “Want another?” he asked, to which she shook her head no, he shrugged in response. She remembered their most recent trip to Vegas, the morning after his fight...when  they’d gotten into that big argument. She remembered the distinct sound of a bottle popping open, and it was barely even noon.  She’d confronted him about it then, but  he’d turned her down as quickly as  she’d asked the question. “Have you eaten?” Kagome  tried to break the awkward silence that followed his question. 

“Yeah.” he paused, observing her face, watching as her expression changed from puzzled  to polite, “why?” 

“No reason. It was one of the questions that Miroku wanted me to ask you.” 

“Are you here for Miroku or are you here because you decided to come here on your own accord?”  Inuyasha inquired, crossing his arms as he turned to face her, his hip pressed against the edge of the counter. Kagome stared up at him as she rattled her brain for an answer. It was a little bit of  both if she was being frank. On one hand she wanted to  come see him because she, like everyone else, was worried about his health and how he was recovering. On the other hand, Miroku’s constant worry but refusal to action was becoming an annoyance. So, she set out to check up on him on her own. 

“I guess one could say it was both.” Kagome said, he raised an eyebrow in response. “I was obviously worried for you, but Miroku kept bitching. So, I came to check.” She sighed as she looked around the apartment and shrugged her shoulders. “Looks like you’ve been doing just fine.” 

“Because I have been.” He responded  coolly , narrowing his eyes. “What’s your deal?” 

“Nothing.” Kagome said, shaking her head slightly, “I’m...fine.” 

“Are you sure?”  Inuyasha asked lowly, “you look a bit...odd.” He watched as Kagome turned her head away from him, pretending to be intrigued by the marble patterning on his kitchen counters. “Kagome...” his voice trailed off. 

“ Inuyasha , can I ask you something, seriously?” Her hand moved from the counter to grasp his, taking his aback slightly. His jerk reaction was to pull his hand away, bringing it back to his side. “Let’s go sit down.” She suggested, motioning toward the couch in the living room. He could  pick up on the serious note in her voice, the change in the air around her. It was somber.  _ I wonder what this is about.  _

Nonetheless, he followed her into the living room and sat down on the couch next to her, turning slightly so he could face her. “Kagome?” 

“Inuyasha,” her voice was shaky, as she rubbed her hands on her thighs, and played with the edge of her skirt. “I’ve been...thinking about this for a while.” Inuyasha crumpled his eyebrows in response, tilting his head slightly as he struggled to see where she was going with this. He couldn’t think of anything he could’ve done in the past week to upset her, seeing as he hadn’t had much strength even for himself. “Remember the last time we went to Vegas, when we had that big argument?” 

“Sure.”  Inuyasha responded, almost  immediately . How could he forget that argument? That one was particularly nasty and had created a miniature version that took place in his apartment just a few days after. “What about it?”  _ Please  _ _ don’t _ _ tell me  _ _ she’s _ _ going to bring up that argument again...  _

“Remember afterwards...I asked you about something?”  Inuyasha nodded his head slowly. 

“I’m not trying to pry into your life, I know you don’t like it when I do.” Kagome said lowly, looking up from her hands to him, tucking a stand of hair behind her ear. “I just...have to ask you again.” She was glad he was in his human form. He  seemed to be nicer...gentler when he was. If she were to  attempt to ask him this question when he was in his demon form, she was sure an argument would have ensued. He was a lot more  passive in his human form, something she took for granted as often as she could. 

He knew what she was asking. She  didn’t have to say it  out loud for him to know what she was hinting at. He  didn’t need her to spell it out for him. 

“No.”  Inuyasha lied, once more. “Absolutely not. I don’t have a problem.” 

“You don’t have to lie to me—” 

“I’m not lying!” He said angrily, causing Kagome to jump back slightly. He took a deep breath to stabilize himself, before speaking again. “Kagome, I don’t know where you’re getting this dumbass idea...but no,” he laughed a little, looking away from her, “I don’t have a problem.” 

“Are you certain?” Kagome asked, “Look at me in my eyes and tell me you’re certain, Inuyasha.” 

“Yes.” He replied, widening his eyes a little bit as he looked at Kagome. “I’m certain.  I’m not lying to you. Can you stop prying into my life now?” 

“What caused your car crash?” Kagome asked quickly, crossing her arms. “Were you drinking?” 

“What?”  Inuyasha asked, in disbelief at her question. “No! God no, I wasn’t drinking.” 

“Don’t you dare lie to me  Inuyasha .” Kagome said  seriously , watching his face closely as he looked away from her again, shaking his head a little bit, dragging a thumb across his bottom lip. “You can’t even look at me.” 

“Because I’m trying not to  fucking yell at you, bitch!”  Inuyasha yelled, finally facing her. “I said I wasn’t drinking. I don’t have a problem.” He got up from his spot at the couch and pointed toward the elevator. “If you only came over to question me and make me angry then  _ leave.”  _ Inuyasha added through gritted teeth, eyes  attempting to glare holes into Kagome’s. Kagome looked up to him from her  spot and rose to her feet. 

“I’m only asking because I care about you, Inuyasha!” She admitted sharply, “I actually give a fuck about you!” 

“If you actually gave a fuck about me you wouldn’t question me about  something I already settled with you.” He responded  dryly , running his hand through his air as he exhaled deeply. 

“Wha—You aren’t even making any sense!” 

“Kagome, drop the subject.”  Inuyasha warned, narrowing his eyes at her. “I find it kind of offensive you would even think I have a problem based off of one time.” 

“So, you lied to me back then?” Kagome asked, crossing her arms as she blinked at him, disbelief in her eyes. “Knew it.” She scoffed, throwing her hands up. 

“I—” 

Kagome held up a hand, and then slowly balled it up into a fist, shaking it slightly. “Okay. Fine.” She said, pulling at the edge of her skirt. “You’re right. I’ll drop it.” She finished, sighing as she let her body drop onto the couch. 

“Thank you.”  Inuyasha responded, still angry as he sat back down as well, scooting away from her. “Where did you even get that stupid idea into your head?” He questioned, pretending to seem interested in his cast. 

“Because normal people without a drinking problem don’t have wine at 11 in the morning.” 

“I just told you I didn’t do that.” Inuyasha muttered in response, “what’s so hard to understand?” 

“You—” she paused, clenching her jaw as she looked away from him.  _ It’s _ _ not worth the argument right now, Kagome,  _ she thought to herself as she shook her head. He was good at deflecting and making himself seem like the victim. She felt guilty for asking him about it, even though she knew there was nothing to be  guilty about. But... 

“Well, now that I know you’re okay, I’m going home.” Kagome said as she got up from her spot,  Inuyasha blinked hard in response. His eyes trailed after her as she walked back to the kitchen, getting her purse. 

“W-wait!” He called, getting up and following her. “That’s it?” 

“Yup.” She responded  ironically , “I’m trying to help you and you just...push me away.” She felt his hand wrap around her wrist as she tried to leave, her head turned back in his direction with a knowing look. “ Inuyasha , if you don’t unhand me right n—” 

“Shut up.” He demanded, loosening his grip around her tiny wrist. “Who says I’m  pushin ’  ya away?” He questioned; an eyebrow arched. Kagome rolled her eyes, causing him to repeat the question. “Am I  pushin ’  ya away? Hm? Is me not wanting to answer an offensive question the same as pushing you away now?” There was a small pause as he let go of her wrist, her body turned to face him. He placed his hand on the counter now, tapping his finger in annoyance. “Answer me.” 

“You’ve basically disappeared off the face of the earth to everyone who cares about you.” She looked up to the ceiling as she felt her eyes threaten to well up with tears. “Rin’s been worried sick about you, Miroku won’t shut up about how you won’t answer him, and he knows you like your space, so he didn’t come to check up on you. Sango asks about you...you can’t just disappear for a week like this  _ especially  _ in your condition and just expect the people in your life to not...care!” 

“Keh, you guys forget I’m a half demon.” Was his response, rolling his eyes. “You guys are just being dramatic.” 

“It’s been four months,  Inuyasha .” Kagome said softly, her eyes looking over his features. “I’ve spent almost every single day with you these past four months. We argued for  most of it, sure...but do you really expect me to just... _ not care _ about you?” 

He was quiet. 

“Do you?” 

“No, you don’t.”  Inuyasha responded, “I—” 

“I felt like I was going to have a  _ fucking  _ panic attack when Rin called me,  Inuyasha ! I  _ ran  _ into the god damn hospital when we got there, I pushed people out of the fucking way. I stayed with Miroku for the majority of the first night you were there, we took turns watching to make sure you wouldn’t  _ fucking die on us.”  _ Kagome responded, taking a step toward him, “ _ I was scared.”  _

_ “ _ You didn’t have anything to be scared about.” He stammered, taking a step back. “No one fucking told you to do that—” 

“But I chose to.” She retorted,  almost as a scream. “Why can’t you accept that you have people that fucking care about you.” 

“Oh no I do.” He replied, nodding his head, “I just don’t think you actually do.” He added, shrugging his shoulders. “You’re here for a year, for one million dollars, I don’t mean jack shit to you beyond that.” 

“That’s not fucking true—” 

“Yes. Yes, it is. If you’re just  gonna argue with me again you can go ahead and take your ass out that fuck—” 

**_ SLAP.  _ **

His head whipped to the side, and almost  immediately he felt his cheek begin to pulsate and grow warm. His hand grazed against his cheek for a moment, and then he turned back to look at her, wide eyed. He pulled his hand away and stared at it for a moment, before bringing it back to his cheek. He could practically feel the handprint on his skin. “Did you just fucking slap me?” He asked, his voice  breathy . Kagome turned away from him. “Did you really just fucking hit me? Again? N-no, Kagome you  don’t get to just not answer me right now. I'm fucking speaking to you.” 

“I don’t understand how it’s so hard for you to accept the fact that I care about you as a friend and I worry about your health and your wellbeing.” Kagome said quietly. “I’m sorry for hitting you, you just...get so under my skin.”

“That doesn’t give you the right to, though.” He said darkly, sighing as he rubbed his cheek, “Just go home.” 

“Inuyasha...” 

“Go...home.” He said, pointing to the elevator. “Go. I  don’t want to see you right now. Go home.” It only took a moment for her to leave, but in that  brief moment he could feel himself rotate through all his emotions about what had just happened. “Son of a bitch.” he breathed, walking to his bathroom. He walked over the mirror and turned his head to inspect his cheek. It was red, and raw, the tips of her fingers beginning to form a print on his cheek. He groaned and shuffled out of the bathroom and toward his room. 

Part of him knew that Kagome had a point.  He’d pushed everyone away when he got out of the hospital and had been, up to this point, hiding out in his apartment just taking time to himself to heal and to avoid the public. But the other part of him,  the majority of him, thought that he  didn’t have to answer to anyone...at any time. He had no real obligation to. If he wanted to just disappear for a bit, he could, and no one had the right to question him. He  did not owe anyone an explanation. And no one owed an explanation to him. He would be back to normal in about a week, thanks to his superhuman genetics and  _ then  _ he could talk to everyone. He just wanted a week to...

_ To what exactly? Not feel like a burden to  _ _ everyone? _ _ To not be bombarded with lectures from Miroku and  _ _ Myoga _ _ , deal with Rin asking about what happened between him and  _ _ Sesshomaru _ _?  _

He turned onto his side and brushed the hair that fell into his eyes away. He watched as his phone screen glowed with twitter and Instagram notifications. The truth was that he had turned on and activated his new phone (which Miroku had gotten for him the first day back home). He had just put it on airplane mode so the calls and texts would be ignored. He was not ever really taught how to deal with his...feelings. He usually just withdrew from everyone else when he felt like this, when he felt vulnerable, and scared and... sad. This was the first time that withdrawing from everyone had created an issue, which only made him want to withdraw even more. He knew that isolating himself  was not going to help him, but it felt a lot better than facing everything and everyone head on and pretending like he is okay, when he is not. 

He  hadn’t been okay for  a  _ very  _ long time . 

He  hadn’t given a damn about himself for  a very long time. 

So, to have Kagome barge into his apartment (uninvited, he might add), and tell him she  _ cared,  _ had taken the half-demon aback. Especially  seeing as they spent most of their time arguing with each other, and the time they  didn’t they were making public appearances and doing interviews and  overall just boosting his image. He bit the inside of his cheek as he thought about her words. 

“ _ I’m only asking because I care about you...I actually give a fuck about you!”  _

It  wasn’t necessarily hard for  Inuyasha to believe. But  he’d spent so much time convincing himself that no one could  possibly care about him beyond surface level, that hearing someone say it to him was strange. It made his skin crawl, and he cringed internally as if  he’d eaten something sour. His throat would swell up at the sound of her voice saying it and his immediate response was to just...ignore. 

Ignore. 

Ignore. 

Ignore. 

Pretend he  hadn’t heard a thing, pretend what she said  wasn’t what she said, counteract her with hostility and hope  she’d go away so he could forget she ever said a thing. Because up until now, the people that said they cared had all left him to his own devices. His parents bailed,  Sesshomaru had turned his back on him long before he fired him. The only person he  _ knew  _ that cared was Miroku.  So who the fuck was she to tell him she cared after only knowing him for a few months? He scoffed at the thought of it, folding his arms over his eyes. “She’s just  gonna leave like every other person has so far.” He whispered to himself. 

“They all scatter like roaches  eventually .” 


	25. "Out for Blood"

He was never like this. This type of energy and excitement was usually reserved for the moments leading up to his fights. He’d never been this enthusiastic, especially not in the mornings. 

He _hated_ morning training. He had always been late to morning training, ever since Myoga took him under his wing. But today, when Myoga approached the door to the gym he could practically feel the bass of the rap music through the brass doorknob. When he opened the door, he noticed that Inuyasha had taken the liberty of letting himself. He was hanging upside down from the pull up bar, his arms hanging past his head, sweat dripping from his brow onto the mat under him. “Hi Myoga!” He’d said cheerily, waving a hand at Myoga who stood glued to his position in front of the door, dropping his bag onto the floor. 

“O-Ohayō...Inuyasha...” Myoga said, eyebrows crinkling together in confusing as he watched Inuyasha flip off the bar, grabbing his water bottle from the mat and taking a drink from it. “You’re here, um...very early.” He said, finally moving from his spot. 

_And in a good mood? I must be dreaming. Is he even cleared to be here yet? Well...his arm cast is off so I can only assume so._ Myoga thought to himself, eyes narrowing wearily as he passed by Inuyasha, making his way toward his office in the back of the gym. His keys jingled in his hands as he glanced back, watching as he moved toward the squat rack and began loading on the weights. “When did you get here?!” He called from his spot, projecting his voice over the rap music that blared through the speakers in the gym. He saw a fluffy ivory ear flicker in his direction as he ducked under the barbell, adjusting his hand width and stance in the mirrors. “Inuyasha!” 

“Like 5:30!” Inuyasha called back, raising the barbell up out of the hooks and taking a few steps back, before squatting. 

“He doesn’t start til...2 hours from now.” Myoga muttered to himself, looking down at the apple watch on his wrist. Shaking his head, he entered his office and sat down at his desk, looking over the mess of papers on his desk. Most of them pertaining to Inuyasha and his recovery from his accident. He read carefully over the most recent report from his doctor, which was less than a week old. “...can resume _light_ exercise.” He muttered to himself, sighing. The clattering of metal onto hooks broke his attention away from the report for a brief second, before he looked back down at the paper in his hands. He set it aside and picked up a manilla folder, Inuyasha’s name written in neat cursive on the tab, with the kanji version printed carefully under it. The front of the folder had the UFC logo on it, a tell-tale sign of official fight documents. “Inuyasha!” Myoga called out, rolling his eyes as the music switched to reggaeton, spanish lyrics filling the gym as he walked out from his office. Inuyasha’s loud, incoherent attempt at spanish making him instantly wish he could smash the speakers in the gym. He walked toward the fighter, waving the manilla folder up in the air. “Cut it out! This is important!” He hollered, finally catching Inuyasha’s attention. 

“Huh?” Inuyasha asked, barely able to keep his energy contained. “What is it?” He asked, taking the folder from Myoga. He reached into his pocket and pressed one of the buttons on the side of the phone, turning down the music. 

“I don’t know, I haven’t looked at it.” Myoga said honestly, shrugging his shoulders. “Open it.” 

Inuyasha opened the folder, taking out the small stack of papers before tossing the folder aside. 

**_Addressed to: The gym of_ ** **_Inuyasha_ ** **_“_ ** **_War baby_ ** **_” Takahashi_ **

**_Subject: Ranking, Schedule, Rematch request_ **

**_Hello,_ **

**_Attached to this small letter you will find your new fight schedule for the remainder of the year of 2020, your new ranking at Ultimate Fighting Championship, and an official rematch request. Should you have any questions or prefer a copy of these documents in your native language, please have your manager contact us._ **

**_Best,_ **

**_UFC Board of Directors._ **

“What is it?” Myoga asked, watching Inuyasha fold back the cover letter and scanning the spreadsheet, golden eyes scanning the sheet rapidly for months, dates, times, places. But most importantly people, though he had too much energy to actually _focus_ on what he was looking at. 

“My new schedule.” Inuyasha muttered in response, “not all that important.” He got sent a new schedule every time a fight time was switched, or his opponent was switched out. He’d learned to ignore the new schedule he’d get sent every few weeks. “This rematch though...” he said, his voice dragging on as he attempted to hide the jitters he had, wracking his brain for any possibility of who it may be. 

_Fuck, this shit hits_ **_hard._ **

**_OFFICAL REMATCH REQUEST_ **

> **AT THE DIRECTION OF THE GYM OF KOGA WOLF, THE UFC BOARD OF DIRECTORS HAS BEEN ASKED TO APPROVE A REQUEST OF REMATCH FOR:**
> 
> **REQUESTOR: KOGA WOLF**
> 
> **TO**
> 
> **REQUESTEE: INUYASHA “WAR BABY” TAKAHASHI**
> 
> **AFTER CAREFUL DELIBERATION, THE UFC BOARD OF DIRECTORS HAS MOTIONED TO APPROVE THIS REQUEST. THE FIGHT WILL TAKE PLACE AT:**
> 
> **T-MOBILE ARENA, LAS VEGAS, NEVADA**
> 
> **TIME: 10:45 PM PST**
> 
> **DATE: AUGUST 17** **TH** **, 2020**
> 
> **PLEASE INDICATE BELOW IF YOU WISH TO ACCEPT OR DENY THE REQUEST AND FAX THIS LETTER BACK TO OUR OFFICE.**
> 
> **WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION,**
> 
> **_The UFC Board of Directors_ **

“Inuyasha.” Myoga said, giving Inuyasha knowing look. But Inuyasha ignored him, almost running to the office, dropping the paper containing his new ranking report. He ignored Myoga’s warning that his body wasn’t quite ready to submit itself to brutal training just yet, and that he should deny the request. 

_I’ll be alright,_ Inuyasha thought as he plucked a pen from Myoga’s desk, checking the box next to ‘Accept’ and signing his name under the cut. He took his phone out and took a picture of the letter with his acceptance and tweeted the picture alone. Within a few minutes his phone was flooded with notifications of people retweeting and liking the tweet. He moved over to the printer that sat behind Myoga’s desk, and he proceeded to fax the letter to the main office. Usually, he wouldn’t give these requests the time of day, if he’d won –which, of course he had-, he wouldn’t challenge anything the judges certified, that was his one rule. Once the scores were recorded on the official score cards, he considered that issue done. But today wasn’t a normal day, obviously. “Done!” He announced to himself. What he liked about fighting Koga, was that he could take _hits._

Koga’s own style, unbeknownst to him, was Inuyasha’s _kryptonite_. Koga was prone to leaving his body too open, allowing easy access to his ribs, stomach and liver for kicks and blows, and Koga could _take them,_ meaning Inuyasha had a field day the last time they fought, until Koga managed to get the upper hand for a few seconds and did some real damage to his face. He ignored Myoga’s advices to deny the request once more, not like he could do much about it at this point anyways. 

“...Your body is not yet healed Inuyash—” 

“ _My body, is fine.”_ Inuyasha growled back, turning to stare at him, his hands planted on Myoga’s desk. Myoga hadn’t noticed until now, the difference in Inuyasha’s eyes. The bloodshot look, the pupils that had dilated so little they seemed virtually non-existent. He looked as though he hadn’t slept, making a chill run up Myoga’s spine, the hair on the back of his neck rising. 

“What is wrong with your eyes?” Myoga questioned, coming closer to the hanyou. As Inuyasha tried to look away, he reached a hand up to his face, squeezing at his cheeks and forcing him to look at him. “Have you slept?” 

“No.” Inuyasha admitted, ripping away from Myoga’s gaze. 

“So that’s why you have that crazy look in your eyes.” Myoga concluded, nodding. “Go home, you’ve been here for hours already. I’ll call Bank and Renkotsu and tell them you’re taking a day off.” He patted Inuyasha on the back as he turned to leave the office, but much to his dismay Inuyasha only headed back to the squat rack, having been interrupted by Myoga. 

“I have too much energy right now.” Inuyasha said, as he ducked once again under the weight, “I gotta burn it while I can.” He added, taking a few steps back again. _Before I fucking crash, I mean._

_This is not normal._ Myoga thought to himself, watching his body duck down, before rising slowly, his hands holding the barbell with the weights on his shoulders. In his mind, Myoga’s alarm bells were ringing, as he scraped every inch of his brain for what could possibly be wrong with his trainee because... _fuck,_ this wasn’t him. 

Inuyasha never had this much energy in the morning. Not even at sixteen when he first took him in, not even after having his morning red bulls with his matcha latte—this was _not_ him. He felt that this was wrong with every fiber of his being, _something_ was off. “What’s with the high spirits this morning?” Myoga asked, leaning against the squat rack, arms folded over his chest. “You can do five more reps of this weight; I know you can.” He encouraged, yelling over the music, although he kept a puzzled look on his face, observing silently. 

“Dunno—must be a good day, eh?” Inuyasha answered between squats, “Just...got a big burst of energy this morning, felt like coming in early.” He stepped forward, putting the weight back, and taking a breath. “When was the last time I did endurance?” 

“Oh really?” Myoga egged, “is that so? Where’d you get it from, Yash?” 

“I just told you.” 

“No.” Myoga said, but decided not to push it, if Inuyasha was in a good mood (which was always rare) he didn’t want to be the one to sour it, and possibly ruin everyone else’s day in the process. “Erm, I believe...the last time you came here?” _The day before your accident, almost three weeks ago. “_ Why?” 

“’Cause I...kinda feel like I could run for miles.” Inuyasha said, jogging in place. “When’s the last time I took the VO2 Max test?” 

“Three months ago?” Myoga responded, more as a question as he couldn’t exactly remember. “Why?” Before he could even allow Inuyasha to respond, he waved his hand dismissively. “You have only been approved for light exercise. Your interior wounds are still healing.” He said hurriedly, brown eyes looking at the horizontal scar on his side. “That’s _enough,_ Inuyasha.” Myoga warned, placing a hand on the barbell. “Don’t push yourself beyond your limits, young man.” 

“I’m fine, Myoga.” He snapped back, “I feel fine. I feel amazing actually—any way we can get me in for a test today?” He questioned, “you know what? I’ll call the lab right now.” He said, moving to pull out his phone. 

“Inuyasha– **stop**.” His hand reached toward Inuyasha’s forearm, squeezing it. “Go home.” 

“Why are you sending him home? Is he not cleared yet?” A raspy voice said from the doorway, capturing both of their attentions. “He looks better. Welcome back, bro.” he added, approaching the two men. 

“Thanks, Bank.” Inuyasha responded, accepting Bankotsu’s handshake. “Can I talk to you in the office really quick, I just want to _go over_ some things.” He added, hoping he would pick up on his subtle hint. 

“Inuyasha—” 

“ _Myoga!_ ” Inuyasha roared, whipping his head around to look at his trainer. “Shut. Up. I am fine. I know my body more than you know. I’m not worried, and if I'm not worried then you shouldn’t be. _Got it?”_ After a moment with no response from Myoga, (save for his furrowed eyebrows and stroking of chin, visible signs of disapproval from the flea demon) he added, “I _’m not_ _human._ _I don’t_ _' need more than a month of rest.”_

“Uh, sure.” Bankotsu replied, looking worriedly between Myoga and Inuyasha, before following Inuyasha toward the back of the gym, walking into Myoga’s office after him, shutting the door behind them. He glanced out of the window for a second, seeing Myoga rubbing the top of his head as he sat down on the floor, before turning back to Inuyasha. “What?” 

“I need more.” Inuyasha said quietly, his clawed index finger tracing circles in the wooden desk, leaving a thin trail in its wake. Golden eyes looked up from the desk at Bankotsu, who gave him a bewildered look. He looked back down at the desk, pretending to be interested in the papers on Myoga’s desk. He looked back up, drawing a deep, shaky breath. He could feel himself coming down from his high, his skin was becoming itchy, a sudden feeling of fatigue was being to wash over him, and he regretted the decision to not bring some with him to the gym. 

He was going to _need_ it, and _soon._

Bankotsu wracked the contents of his brain to gather what exactly was happening. “Wait...you want more?” He questioned, more for clarification than anything. He’d heard him, but... 

_Really?_

_Hadn’t I given him...enough?_

“Yes,” the half-demon replied, running a hand through his silver hair. “I’m running out. I need more.” He added, “preferably today.” 

_Today?_

“Okay.” Bankotsu replied, nodding his head slightly. His agreement leaving a sour taste in his mouth, “I’ll stop by your place tonight.” 

_I’m not the type to do this, fuck._

“Really?” Inuyasha said, ears pointed forward, his nose twitching as he could barely contain his excitement, despite him feeling the fatigue starting to set into his bones. The numbness in his mouth and throat was beginning to fade, a thin trail of sweat ran down his spine, dampening his shirt.He could feel a sort of grittiness beginning to develop on the surface of his teeth as he swiped his tongue over them. Mentally, the hanyou cursed. 

“Your nose is bleeding, Inuyasha.” Bankotsu said, rushing forward. He plucked a few tissues from the small box on the desk. Inuyasha raised his eyebrows in confusion, looking down at the desk just as he saw a small drop of blood fall onto a piece of paper. 

“Oh, fuck.” Inuyasha under his breath, swiping at his nose. His fingers coming away with blood, he reached toward the tissues Bankotsu offered. He tilted his head up and pinched his nose with the tissues. “Shit.” He cursed again, wanting to sniff, but fighting the urge to. 

“So, your place tonight?” 

“Yeah.” He responded, still holding the tissues up to his nose. His free hand planted on the desk. “Just, let me know how much. I’ll pay whatever.” 

_Of course, you can,_ Bankotsu thought as he nodded his head in agreement. “Uh-sure, okay.” He said, scratching the back of his neck. He felt guilty, he _should_ feel guilty. He promised himself that he wasn’t going to fuck up the opportunity Inuyasha had offered him. He brought him to America with him, gave him a fresh start alongside him, paid him well. They’d met as idiot teenagers doing things they had no business doing and now... 

_Now I’m selling the very thing we used to sell in Japan, back to him._

_The stakes were higher back home than they are here_ , he wagered with himself. His left the office after muttering a goodbye to Inuyasha and crossed the hall to the locker room, sitting on a bench in front of the lockers. He held his head in his hands, his braid falling over his shoulder. He shook his head lightly, “No, no they aren’t, Bank.” _If the stakes were higher, you would’ve wasted no time selling to your brothers back home._

_But it’s for your career!_

The one thing he couldn’t see Inuyasha offering him, was advancement in the industry. All the attention was always drawn to Inuyasha, he and Renkotsu were almost always overlooked and reduced to just his sparring partners. He wanted _more_ for himself, he needed _more_ for himself, for his brother. He had his own fights occasionally, but they were barely, if ever acknowledged by Inuyasha or the media. 

So, when Naraku approached him with an offer he couldn’t turn away...he took it, no matter how bitter the taste in his mouth was, no matter the risk. Naraku had proven that anyone who joined his team got to his level of success or were at least on their way up. They had what he’d been wanting for so long, and working—what felt like–in vain, for. He took a deep breath to settle his mind, and stared down at his shoes, hands clasped together. The only comfort he could find in this situation was that he and Inuyasha had a common foe: Naraku. Bankotsu didn’t necessarily _like_ Naraku, but he didn’t exactly _hate_ him either. He had more of an annoyed tolerance for the strange demon man. His bloodshot red eyes made chills run up his spine, and the subtle tinge of yellow of his skin was abnormal given his more human appearance. “I have to text him.” Bankotsu resolved, taking a deep breath as he took out his phone, scrolling through his contacts for Naraku’s contact name. He hesitated for a moment, his finger hoovering over the text icon. He contemplated leaving the locker-room, telling Inuyasha there was none left, that it was a one-time thing. He shook his head at the thought. _He’d only find_ _someplace_ _else to get it from, I’d rather he_ _get_ _it from me._

_“_ Bankotsu!” He heard Inuyasha call to him from the entrance of the Locker room, he sounded slightly out of breath. “C’mon, I need a spotter for my bench press!” 

“Going!”

* * *

Naraku wasn’t necessarily angered that Bankotsu had taken a while to text him asking for more supply. Rather, he was _displeased_ that the dismantling of Inuyasha’s reign as world champion was taking a lot longer than he initially had thought. 

_Much_ longer. 

So, when he finally received that faithful text from Bankotsu, he’d all but smiled at his phone. A low chuckle escaping his mouth as he responded to the text, promising to provide what he needed by the end of the day. Inuyasha had taken _everything_ from him. _His_ fame, _his_ endorsements, _his_ glory. He wanted it back, every last drop of it, and if it meant taking his sanity along with it... 

He would. 

The night he lost to Inuyasha three years ago, Inuyasha had won by knock out in the first thirty seconds of the match. He still remembered the feel of Inuyasha’s fist connecting with his jaw, the almost instant reaction of his body going cold and numb. He remembered his body hitting the canvas of the octagon floor with an audible thud, breaking his nose in the process. His eyes fluttering shut. 

His glory. 

Gone. 

His belt. 

Taken. 

When he didn’t wake up within the minute and a half following his defeat, he was carted off into an ambulance and rushed to the nearest hospital, where he awoke as he was wheeled through the hallway. 

Three hours later his blood results came back. 

His doping was discovered. 

He could admit, Inuyasha had no fault in Naraku’s doping. But he played in a role in his downfall. Had Inuyasha not knocked him out, by striking out of _fear,_ Naraku would've retained his title, his fame, and his glory. But instead, he was shipped off to prison for a year and banned from partaking in UFC fights and belt challenges for two years. Until now. The very first thing he did was challenge Inuyasha publicly, at a press conference following his release. 

Inuyasha had all but mocked the man, claiming him to be washed up and fake. “You couldn’t touch me with a ten-foot fucking pole, old man.” he’d responded, when asked in an interview. Their rematch was expected and long awaited, the executives had practically planned it the second Naraku was KO’d. 

But Naraku didn’t want a clean **fucking** fight. He wanted to get Inuyasha at his lowest, make him feel all the emotions and suffering Naraku had suffered at his hands. Naraku wanted to watch him slowly spiral, humiliate him publicly. He wanted to squash any possibility of Inuyasha returning to his former glory once Naraku was done with him. 

He’d be damned if he’d let him have a clean fight. 

Naraku was out for blood. 

Period. 


	26. "Armor"

Life comes at you one hundred miles an hour. It never stops, never slows down, never waits. He’d found himself at a mere twenty years old suddenly at the top of the UFC food chain before he could even register what happened. His career had skyrocketed to the top at rocket speed. There was no manual that prepared him for the pressure, the fame, the newfound wealth and endorsements from brands he used to  _ dream  _ would even breathe in his direction.  _ How did I get here?  _

“Inuyasha?” 

He was called back to earth by the journalist that sat in front of him, notepad in hand, a worried look in his eyes.  _ How long have I zoned out for?  _

“Oh…yeah.” His voice trailed off; a nervous smile plastered on his face. “What was the question again?” He asked, his eyes darting over to Miroku who stood behind the journalist, outside of the little pocket of fluorescent lights and cables connecting audio and cameras. This interview had been on his schedule for a few months now, and it came only a few days after accepting Koga’s rematch. To Miroku it was golden timing, to Inuyasha it was absolute  _ hell _ . 

His body was still feeling shitty after coming down from a multiple day high and he had spent most of the previous day cuddled up in bed with a bottle of vodka trying to drink the dread of this interview away (as well as nurse a cocaine crash). He’d woken up that morning reluctant to sit in a chair face to face with someone he didn’t even really want to talk to for multiple hours, but Miroku forced him out of bed and dragged him into his shower. He forced him to eat and get ready. 

So, he found himself here. In this interview. Irritated to high heaven but _ here _ . 

Sometimes he just had to show up, and hope that was good enough. 

“What motivated you to become the fighter you are now?” The question hung suspended in the air for a moment, he sucked in a breath and held it in his chest for a few seconds before exhaling. Why’d he have to be so _ bad  _ with words? Why couldn’t he just...talk. 

“I come from a very poor area in Osaka. The  _ Nishinari  _ ward, specifically the area surrounding  _ Kamagasaki,  _ the poorest neighborhood in Osaka. I struggled a lot growing up.” It was the most that this journalist was getting out of him regarding his upbringing. “If you wanna talk about motivation, that was mine.” He added, shrugging his shoulders. 

“I see...you just wanted to get out of where you’re from? That was your motivation?” 

“In summary.” Inuyasha replied, shrugging his shoulders again.  _ There’s a lot more to it.  _

“Did your parents influence you at all—” 

“I don’t talk about my parents.” Inuyasha cut him off, waving his hand dismissively. “Too much to unpack.”  _ My dad was a fucking drunk, and a drug addict and my mother split when I was like 5. Do you  _ **_really_ ** _ need a sob story?  _

“Oh.” The journalist replied, his mouth shaping an ‘o’, realizing he seemed to have struck a nerve with the hanyou, noticing the slight twinge of irritation in his voice; it was hard to miss. “Tough upbringing?” 

“Whaddya think?” Inuyasha responded, rather hostile. He was beginning to lose patience and as a result ripped off the little microphone that was clipped to his shirt, standing up from his seat as he took off the little microphone pack that was clipped to the back of his pants. “I’m taking a break.” He muttered, walking out of frame and over to Miroku, who was busy on the phone. He tapped him on the shoulder, and then crossed his arms. 

“You’re supposed to be interviewing, go.” Miroku ordered, attempting to shoo his friend away. “I’m in the middle of something.” 

“I don’t want to do this interview with this person.” Inuyasha whispered, tilting his head in the direction of the journalist, who waited patiently in their seat for the athlete to return to the interview. He understood that nerves were a factor in how journalists did their job, but he wasn’t going to sit there and be asked redundant questions and waste his time. “Reschedule.” he ordered, “now.” 

“Can’t you sit through it? You do this all the time.” Miroku pleaded, holding a hand over his phone. Inuyasha rolled his eyes, causing Miroku to tug at his earlobe, messing with the small hoop earring he wore. “Please?” 

“Miroku.” Inuyasha warned, but Miroku was all but accustomed to his empty threats. 

“Inuyasha, I’m currently on the phone with a brand that wants a deal with you and if I don’t get back to this conversation, I will personally purify you to all  _ fucks. _ ” 

There wasn’t much that Inuyasha could say in response.“Fine.” he groaned in response, earning a thankful smile from his friend. 

“You can do it, only a few more hours left.” Miroku said, going back to his conversation. 

Begrudgingly, Inuyasha exhaled in frustration, and dragged his feet back to where he was sitting. An audio technician came forward quickly, setting up his microphone once more. He sat back down, and gave the journalist a fake smile. “Where were we?”

* * *

“So how did it go this morning?” Kagome asked, glancing from the artwork on the wall to Inuyasha, who started intently at the piece, as if trying to figure out what it might represent. “With the interview.” 

“Fine.” Inuyasha replied, still staring at the artwork. Sure, he might have been a little more than just mean to the journalist. And the interview would have to be heavily edited for expletives before ESPN could even  _ consider _ airing it, but it had gone notably better than any other interview he’d had in his career. His eyes trailed over the painting of a skull, missing its jaw and some teeth, but perched atop a book with some papers. A toppled glass on the table leaned against the skull, an old orange oil lamp standing behind the skull and book, slightly to the left, if he squinted he could barely see the embers of a wick that seemed to be just put out. A feather and vial of ink. It was all so random to him, and yet…

“This is art?” He questioned slowly, as he leaned slightly toward Kagome. He glanced over to the silver plaque under the artwork, it was painted in 1628. 

“Yes.” Kagome muttered back. The museum was quiet, calm. Every once in a while you could hear the shuffling of feet from one exhibit to the next, but not much else beyond that. Kagome had suggested to Miroku a while back that they take a trip to the museum as a “date”, but he strongly objected to the fact that museums typically did not allow high quality cameras, and the whole point of their relationship was to be public and photographable. He changed his tune, though, when he figured out that people could easily take pictures of them with their phones and upload them on social media. After all, phones weren’t considered high quality cameras. She’d noticed some people taking pictures of them with their phones held low to their hips, or held a strange angle so as to be discreet but also capture an image of them. “What, you don’t think it’s art?” Kagome asked, raising an eyebrow. 

Inuyasha scoffed, “It’s not that I don’t think it’s art...it’s just weird.” 

“This is supposed to represent the fleetingness of life, how nothing stays the same and how everything is temporary...except death.” Kagome said, taking a moment to look at the painting again and point at the glass with her pinky finger, circling the area. “The glass is reflecting the room the artist is in, you see that? It’s kind of distorted and shifted...like you’re walking past it and happen to see the reflecting in the glass.” 

“And that’s supposed to signify... what? Life?” 

They hadn’t talked much since she came to see him after his accident, wagging fingers and scolding him for not contacting anyone since getting out of the hospital after his accident. She’d thrown out a phrase that made him break out in hives every time it was uttered in his direction. 

_ “I care about you” _

__ She hurled it at him like a weapon, hoping it would weaken his wall, and get him to just  _ stop  _ being so insufferably defensive. But it hadn’t done anything. She didn’t get a change of expression, a glint in his eyes...nothing. He was stoic, as if she hadn’t said anything at all. Because every other person that had uttered that phrase in his direction had fucking lied to him. And he was tired of being lied to. 

There was one person in his life that he believed whole-heartedly cared about him, and that was Miroku. 

So when Kagome stared at him with anger burning in her big, brown eyes, her hands balled up in fists at her sides as she screamed those words at him...announcing that she cared about him, it took everything he had in himself not to laugh cruelly at her. But he wanted to. Inuyasha tried, and failed miserably to push her words away—but they echoed in his mind all night, repeating like some broken record, and he couldn’t get it to stop. 

He felt like there was awkwardness between them because of it, because he didn’t give her a typical reaction. But in reality it’s just...being cared for, or caring for other people just...it scared him. He didn’t like it. 

“Yes.” Kagome responded, glancing around the room before her eyes settled back on the painting. “What do you think?” 

“It looks...real, for being so old.” He muttered, taking in a sharp breath, “did they teach you this stuff at...what’s that place again?” 

“Harvard?” Kagome asked, raising an eyebrow. “I took a class in this one semester, it was fun. I remember a lot.” 

“I can tell.” 

It was quiet between them for a moment, before Kagome started to move toward another art piece without saying a word, and Inuyasha found himself quietly following her, his golden eyes following her line of site to another realistic painting. Half rotten fruit (oranges, apples, grapes) were drawn strewn over a table. It’s white cloth bunched up to one side, the fruit bowl in which the fruit was most likely originally in, was fallen on its side. He glanced quickly in her direction, watching as she tilted her head to the side slightly, brown eyes squinting as she stared at the artwork. Her wavy black hair held back in a loose ponytail, showing off the piercing she had on the helix of her ear, and the small butterfly tattoo behind it. “Is this by the same person?” 

“No.” Kagome answered, glancing down at the plaque. “But it is from the same era.” 

“Why are there so many dark colors?” 

“It was part of the art style of that period. People really focused on the vanity of humans, so they hung up these really dark art pieces to show that ‘hey we really shouldn’t be caring about these things because we’re all going to die soon’. They were kind of emo like that, in that time period.” Kagome replied, shrugging her shoulders. 

“That’s fucked.” Inuyasha scoffed, shaking his head slightly. “What's so bad about enjoyin’ the finer things in life while you’re here and able to? You’ve worked hard for it.” 

“I think modern day society can take a page out of their book,” Kagome said, inhaling sharply. “The only thing certain in life is death, everything else is fleeting. We spend so much time obsessing over things like money, our social media presence, the possessions we have.” 

_ Everything else is fleeting.  _

Inuyasha wrinkled up his nose in disagreement, rolling his eyes at Kagome. “You act like you don’t think about that.” And in a whisper he added, “You wouldn’t have taken this gig if it wasn’t for a million.” 

“I know I do.” Kagome replied, turning her head to look at him, one of her hands resting on the top of her chain bag, the gold of the chain glinting under the soft gold light of the museum. “Because society has placed such a big emphasis on money. It’s not all that matters in life.” 

“I dunno, when you grow up going hungry because your family is broke, you realize how important money is.” Inuyasha retorted, a slight bitter note in his voice as he crossed his arms defensively. Her eyes trailed over to the muscle in his arms, before darting back up to his face where she was met with smoldering golden eyes. He had a sort of predatory gaze, making her breath hitch in her throat for a second. His eyes were beautiful. No matter how much she hated him, disagreed with him, argued with him, whatever...his eyes were the one thing about him that would  _ always  _ admit were absolutely breathtaking to her, and nothing could change that. 

She may not have found his personality particularly likable, but she would be lying to herself if she said he wasn’t beautiful. His hair was always so shiny it might as well glow under direct light, it reminded her of spun silver. The beautiful eyes that she was entranced with the second her own eyes met them, like pools of molten gold, or honey in sunlight. The predatory gaze was constant, it never left, never changed, adding an aspect of forbiddenness to him, like he was too beautiful to touch. The muscular bodice, and the veins in his arms. Her mind flashed back to the night they had sex, she remembered the feel of the muscles in his forearm as she guided his hand up to her neck. The feeling of his hand gently tightening around it. The  _ moan  _ of  _ her name  _ as she rode him.  _ God,  _ that moan…

She could admit he was a living breathing, work of art, if only for a moment. 

“Kagome.” 

His voice snapped her out of her trance, and she smiled at him, trying to flight down the blush on her cheeks as she looked at him. She may or may not have lied to him when she told him that day that she didn’t remember much. She remembered many moments of that night. “Yeah?” She replied, raising her eyebrows. 

“You spaced out.” Inuyasha said, eyeing her for a moment before turning his attention back to the art work they were looking at. “Why exactly are we here?” He asked, sighing as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “I’m bored.” 

_ Of course he would find a mentally stimulating activity boring,  _ Kagome thought to herself. “I suggested we come here as a date idea to Miroku.” 

“And he agreed because…?” He made a motion with his hands, causing Kagome to giggle to herself. 

“I pressured him into it. I was getting tired of constantly going to events and dinners and...mentally and physically exhausting events. I work all day before most of them, so it’s like double exhaustion. I wanted to take it easy for once...have a slow day.” 

“So you suggested spending the day walking around the museum?” Inuyasha questioned, a black eyebrow raised before he rolled his eyes, huffing. “Okay then, if it makes sense to you who am I to tell you it doesn’t.” 

“It’s better than spending the night at some loud club, or social event after a day at work.” Kagome argued, and Inuyasha could accept that it was a valid point. 

It was again quiet for a few moments between them, before Kagome grabbed hold of his hand. “What the hell is that for?” Inuyasha asked, attempting to tug his hand out of her grasp. Kagome shot him a glare, and growled lowly in response, but closed his hand around hers reluctantly. 

They’d settled into a sort of...better dynamic. They still argued a lot, but much of it had lost it’s nasty, straight-for-the-throat edge. They could converse without it turning into an argument which had both alleviated Miroku’s headaches and anxieties about the arrangement and Kagome’s stress. Inuyasha always seemed to be in higher spirits, and Kagome mostly attributed it to summer starting. While he hadn’t lost his argumentative streak, he was happier these days, sometimes a little too upbeat, which made her suspicious but she never questioned it. Whatever was putting him in good moods was good for her, and she didn’t want it to stop anytime soon. 

She had, however, noticed that he had gotten quieter since the last time she was at his apartment. Which was odd, considering he was  _ never  _ quiet, and always had something to say, whether it was good or bad. So for him to suddenly clam up and constantly avoid looking her in the eyes was...strange. “Are you okay?” She asked quietly, no longer able to contain her curiosity. With a gentle tug on his hand, she led them out of the exhibition they were in, and out into the hallway. 

“Yeah?” Inuyasha answered, although it was phrased more as a question than an answer as he trailed behind her toward the other exhibition, his hand loosely holding onto hers. “Why?” 

“Nothing,” Kagome replied quickly, starting down the large limestone steps, the sound of her short heel echoing throughout the quiet building as they descended the steps. “I’ve just noticed that you’ve been kind of...quieter...lately.” She tucked a loose strand of her hair behind her ear as she paused for a moment on the steps, and turned her body in his direction. “Are you okay?” 

“I’m fine.” Inuyasha replied, huffing. “Why wouldn’t I be? Maybe I haven’t been feeling very talkative lately.” 

“No it’s just…” Kagome paused for a moment before shaking her head, and starting down the stairs again. “Lets just go look at some more art.” 

“No, Kagome.” Inuyasha said, pulling back on her hand slightly. “What is it?” 

“I told you I cared about you and you just...didn’t respond. Like...that’s a pretty big thing to say someone and you just...didn’t respond. Your expression didn’t change, the look in your eyes didn’t change...you were stoic. I felt like I was looking at your brother for a second.” She looked up at him and noticed that he looked confused by her words.”What I’m trying to say is that you’ve been quiet ever since I’ve said that.”

He  _ knew  _ she was going to bring it up, it was only a matter of time. And when she did he could feel the exhaustion of the squabble they were about to have enter his body almost as if he had invited it in. “It’s...don’t think about it too much, alright?” 

“Hm.” Kagome vocalized, turning to start once more, down the stairs. It took a few seconds for Inuyasha to follow after her, no longer holding her hand. In a few moments, he found himself standing in a room, basked in natural sunlight. All around him were sets of armor encased in glass cases. Some of them sat atop statues of horses, also covered in armor. 

He found Kagome on the other side of the room, again seemingly deep in thought as she looked at something that was inside of the large glass encasement, and he felt a rush of anger overtake him for a short moment, before he took a deep breath. He didn’t know much about museums, but he knew that having an argument in the middle of one wasn’t a good look. It took him a few moments to gather his composure before he started toward her. 

Okay...so  _ what  _ he didn’t respond in a way people usually respond when someone tells them they’re cared for? What exactly did she expect him to do?  _ Change? Tell her he cared about her too? _

To be honest, he was confused on exactly  _ why  _ she was angry with him. It’s not like he’d done anything particularly deserving of her disappointment since then, or at least, nothing that she was aware of. 

“I don’t get it.” Inuyasha whispered when he came closer to her, glancing up at the shield that was in the encasement for a brief moment, before looking back at her. “Why exactly are you mad at me?”

“I’m not  _ mad  _ at you, Yash.” 

“Don’t call me that.” He corrected her for what seemed like the dozenth time, shooting her a glare. Kagome rolled her eyes in response. 

“Can we not talk about this now? Please? I kind of just want to enjoy the art.” 

“Fucking  _ armor  _ is art now, too?” 

“If it wasn’t, why would it be in an art museum?” Kagome snapped back at him, now annoyed. Inuyasha put up his hands defensively. “I figured you’d like this room.” 

“I do.” Inuyasha replied quickly, but his eyes were still glued onto Kagome. He noticed how she wriggled under his gaze, scratching at her neck and attempting to avoid looking at him. “You still haven’t answered my question, woman.” 

“I did.” Kagome said, pretending to be interested in another piece of armor that was displayed next to the shield. “Oh look, it’s a full set of medieval armor, isn’t that neat?” 

Inuyasha rolled his eyes at her. He’d come to realize that she was  _ very  _ bad at hiding her emotions. “You know, I just don’t understand how the fuck you can say you care about someone without really knowing them. I can’t say I care about you. You know why? Because I don’t  _ fucking  _ know you, Kagome!” His voice echoed in the large hall, bouncing off the walls. He cleared his throat before talking again. “I don’t know shit about you, but you know all about my fucking life.” The more he thought about what he’d just said, the more it was true. In the last few months, she’s been able to collect practically every little detail that was public in his life, without him getting even the tiniest of detail. What he  _ did  _ know for sure, was her name, where she lived, and where she was from. Kagome, twenty-three years old, lives in the Bronx, and she’s originally from Seattle. But, birthday? What she likes? What is her favorite song? He didn’t know any of that. He couldn’t even guess it—he did once, on that YouTube video they did a while back, but hadn’t bothered to ask her if he got anything right. She was still angry at him. 

_ Why is this fucking mattering anyway?  _

“So, is this you saying you want to get to know me?” Kagome questioned slowly, turning to look at him, taking a step closer to him. “Is it, Inuyasha?” She tried to ignore what he’d said about not caring about her, attributing it to his sudden burst of anger (annoyance? Frustration? Those three emotions looked the same to her when it came to Inuyasha). But it  _ hurt,  _ because why, after all these months couldn’t he have even the tiniest of soft spots for her, like she had for him? Sure he argued with her alot, and a lot of times she hated his guts, and he did hers but...she’d spent so much time with him, it was inevitable she would grow to care for him, even if it was in a casual way. She shook her head slightly.  _ No.  _ she wasn’t going to take their dynamic in that direction, she didn’t even  _ want  _ to. He just looked nice today, that was it. She could admit that to herself, that he looked nice. 

She needed to put up a wall between them, forget about his damn reaction. Forget about everything that happened that night at his apartment when she’d told him she cared. He was much easier to hate than love, and Miroku had already told her—told both of them—to not catch feelings. 

_ Shut up and do your fucking job.  _

He had to pause and think about her question. Is that what he actually wanted? Is that what this whole thing was about? “I…” He started to speak but couldn’t really figure out what he wanted to say once he did. He’d said it wrong. It’s not that he didn’t care for her...he was just…

_ I don’t not care, but I’m not indifferent toward you.  _

It was weird hearing those words in his head, for the first time when it came to Kagome. Usually, he was silently calling her names and wishing she would crawl into some ditch somewhere and leave him alone. It actually scared him because why the  _ fuck  _ did he need to let his guard down with her? And why the hell did she care if he did? Why did he care if she let down hers? 

He was confused. 

“If you want to know about me why didn’t you ask?” Kagome pressured, folding her arms over her chest. He looked away from her for a few seconds, causing her to scoff at him. “You’re pathetic, you know that?” 

“Pa-PATHETIC?!” He sputtered. His voice filled the room once more, prompting Kagome to bring her index finger to her lips and shush him. He immediately looked around for a few seconds, before speaking again in a hushed tone. “Bullshit, I’m pathetic!”

“Just say you’d like to get to know me before I go saying stuff like that.” Kagome said to him, looking over her shoulder, teasing him, he could just tell. “See, the reason why I’ve never said anything about myself to you is because you never bothered to ask in the first place.” 

“Don’t go doing that to me…” Inuyasha whispered to himself, his voice dragging slightly as he watched her walk away toward another artifact. He followed quietly after her. “You tellin’ me I gotta  _ ask  _ you?” 

Now that he thought about it, Kagome did ask Inuyasha about himself on the very first outing Miroku had planned for them, but he hadn’t asked her. 

He hadn’t bothered to. 

“I asked you.” Kagome said, glancing up at the twin pistols that hung on the wall, each encased in what looked like ivory, small golden details around the barrel and trigger. She looked down at the plaque. “Now you ask me.” 

“You asked me months ago, Kagome. Is this really necessary right now?’ 

“It’s not.” Kagome said softly, still reading the plaque. “You know what? Let’s drop this subject, it’s not important.” She said it abruptly, Inuyasha was slightly taken aback. He blinked, hard. Once, then twice before huffing. 

As confused as he was, he wasn’t going to pressure the matter further. He sure as hell didn’t want to argue, much less in a museum. 

“Okay.” 

_ What the fuck was that? _

* * *

“So, Kagome. How did the museum go?” Sango asked her almost as soon as Kagome stumbled into their tiny, yet quaint apartment. She was slipping off her flats at the entrance, holding herself up by pushing her free hand into the wall. Her hair, that was blow dried and curled to perfection in the morning, had lost its curls. 

“Just fine.” Kagome responded, notably irritated. Sango’s smile was wiped from her face, the faintest of frowns making an appearance on her face in its place. Of course she would be irritated, she always was when she was around him. 

But Sango always reminded her about the money...so she kept it going. 

“Not good?  _ Again? _ ” Sango asked, raising an eyebrow as her eyes followed Kagome until she threw herself down on the couch next to her, putting her feet up on the coffee table. 

“No it’s not that, it was fine.” Kagome said, squinting her eyes as she tried to think about what to say. “We got into an argument but...it wasn’t  _ really  _ an argument.” She added slowly, tilting her head up slightly as she spoke. 

“What the fuck are you talking about?” 

“It went from me asking him why the hell he didn’t react to me telling him I care about him to him telling me he doesn’t care about me because he doesn’t  _ know me.  _ What the fuck does he mean he doesn’t know me? We’ve been hanging out almost every day for fucking  _ months. We fucked!  _ It...it was a weird...awkward, conversation. I thought we were getting better, but the awkwardness is just as bad. _ ”  _ She understood that much of this was attributed to getting off on the wrong foot, and that this whole situation between them was just as much her fault as it was his. But this time she was confused.

“Hm.” Sango vocalized, pressing her lips together as she flipped through the TV channels. “I mean, I’m not defending him, but I am going to play devil's advocate. Put yourself in his shoes Kagome. He’s paying you one million dollars to be around him for a year, basically. After a few months of being around, you throw out that phrase. You may not have meant much by it, but I’m sure he sees it as you trying to get more than just a million out of him.” Kagome rolled her eyes at Sango. “I’m just saying! You don’t have to tell me I’m right or anything, I’m just saying..it can be interpreted very differently than what you intended at the moment, giving the circumstances.” 

“He acts like no one around him cares about him so I just...blurted out that I do! He was  _ so surprised  _ to see me show up to his apartment after literally ignoring everyone and everything after getting out of the hospital. Remember how he ignored everyone’s calls after the hospital?” Sango nodded, slowly. “Well!” 

“I understand it’s frustrating. Inuyasha is hard to read, especially if you haven’t known him for a very long time.” Sango offered, rubbing her hand across Kagome’s back. “You’re really taking it to heart, huh? Not being able to crack his code…” 

“It’s frustrating. Just when I think I’ve made some leeway, he clams back up. I told him i cared about him, which i admit was probably too much too soon, especially when we both went into it not expecting more..but.” 

“But?” Sango asked, confused. “Are you developing feelings?” 

“I don’t know, maybe?” Kagome said, pouting as she dragged her hands down her face. “I don’t  _ not  _ care for him...but I also….like I’m not indifferent? But we’re so fucking different I don’t see how I could ever even fall for him, I mean...he’s such an  _ ass. _ ” 

“He’s attractive.” Sango said with a shrug. “You find him attractive.” 

“He’s one beautiful man, yeah.” Kagome replied, jokingly, earning a laugh from her friend. “I’m just gonna ignore it, maybe my period is coming soon and I’m just horny.” 

“Okay so what I’m hearing is that you need to start using your psychology degree on him, and get him to like you back.”

“I- Sango I’m not going to psychoanalyze Inuyasha. Did you not listen to what I just said?” 

“You should, you might get some answers out of him.” 

“Like what? Getting him to finally admit he’s an alcoholic?” Kagome joked, although she knew it was nothing for her to joke about. But before she could add the classic ‘oh, just kidding!’ comment to the end of her phrase, Sango had already audibly gasped. 

“Shut up...really?” She asked in a hushed tone, as if he could hear them somehow, which was impossible considering he wasn’t anywhere near their apartment. 

“No!” 

“Oh, thank god. I thought Miroku was going to have more on his plate.” Sango said, breathing a sigh of relief as she pretended to wipe sweat from her brow. “He never stops working, he’s on call 24/7 for Inuyasha...it’s nuts.” 

“Hm.” Kagome responded, cracking her knuckles. “Is he really?” She turned her head lazily in the direction of her friend. Sango nodded in response. “That’s unhealthy. Kind of. I mean…” She sighed, “I know being a publicist, manager is... _ hard  _ especially for a troublesome celebrity who just...won’t listen to the shit you have to say.” 

“It’s the fact that they’re friends on top of it. Like…” It was difficult for Sango to articulate exactly what she meant. Miroku and Inuyasha were friends, best friends. Brothers. She wasn’t going to tell Miroku to drop Inuyasha because she was starting to feel like less of a priority to him. It wasn’t her place to do so. They grew up together, struggled together, it was only right for him to be so attached. It’s just….

“He works...so much. Around the clock. Constantly. If it’s not negotiating deals, making Inuyasha’s schedules, getting him interviews, or helping to promote his next fight, it’s Inuyasha himself.” Sango said, almost tripping over her words she was so... _ frustrated.  _

“Is Inuyasha a clingy friend?” Kagome asked, asking more so for her own curiosity than anything else. 

“Not that he’s clingy. He has bad timing.” Sango sighed, rolling her eyes. “I can’t tell you the amount of times he’s called in the middle of Miroku and I having sex, and Miroku just  _ has  _ to answer. He’s like a parent.” Kagome grimaced at her comment, but continued to listen to Sango vent. “We’ll go out to dinner and sure enough he ‘has to take this call’ or ‘has to shoot this email’ or ‘has to send this text’. It’s impossible to go on a date without work rearing it’s nasty little head.” Kagome giggled. 

“Talk to him?” She suggested, raking her hands through her hair. 

“I have.” Sango replied, defeatedly. “It works for a few days but then he just can’t help it, it’s like he’s addicted to work. He’s a workaholic.” 

“Hm. Yeah that can be difficult. Especially with these two. They’re attached at the hip.” Kagome offered in response, giving her friend a lopsided grin. “I’m sorry Sango.” 

“You’re telling me?” Sango scoffed. “And Sesshomaru has been gone for god knows how long, so Miroku’s working overtime answering to Inuyasha’s every whim.” 

“Yeah, where the fuck has he been anyways?” Kagome asked, raising an eyebrow. “I mean, I’ve talked to Rin...she doesn’t say much. But I can tell she’s worried, and pissed.” She added. “Think he went back to Japan?” 

“Miroku told me Inuyasha fired him.” 

“I wasn’t aware of this...so he went back to Japan with his tail between his legs?” 

“Said it was only going to be for about a week.” 

“It’s been more.” 

“I know.” 

“Jesus.” Kagome breathed, sinking back into their couch. “How bad do you think that argument might have been?” After a few moments she added, “I feel bad for Rin..all alone in that huge house. How could he just  _ leave  _ like that?” 

“Miroku told me their relationship is weird. They each do whatever they want—they understand each other like that, I’m sure Rin understands.” Sango said, shrugging. “She’s busy all the time anyways, and so was he. Not like either of them saw each other much.” 

“Yeah but,” Kagome bit her bottom lip for a second, “That’s still her fiance. You don’t just...up and leave when you want to...I guess I’m just looking at all this through my perspective, but I would’ve totally called off the engagement if he left and just didn’t come back…”  _ It looks like Inuyasha puts a strain on everyone’s relationship, not just Sango’s.  _ “We should call her and invite her over, have some drinks and stuff. What do you think? Are you up for it?” 

“Of course!” Sango replied, “I can run to the liquor store really quick and get us some more wine, and some of that tequila you like.” 

“Awesome.” Kagome replied. “I’ll text Rin.” With that she got up from her couch, and padded over to where she set down her bag. She fished around inside her bag for a few moments before locating her phone. 

  
  



	27. "Vermont"

It was clockwork. 

He’d think he was okay for a few days before he was hit with a whole new wave of emotions he just _didn’t_ want to feel. Like a reminder that, ‘hey, you have some stuff you haven’t fully processed yet’. To which he’d respond by popping open a seal, and pouring himself a drink. 

And then another. 

And then another. 

And another. 

Until his vision was blurry and his cheeks began to flush crimson with the rising of his body heat. Until his balance was off and it could took everything in his power to just fucking focus. Until the only words running through his mind were… 

_I want another._

With a slight push of his hands against his couch, Inuyasha brought himself to his feet. Only to sway a few times, and trying to focus his vision. He stepped sideways a few times, before slowly turning his body in the direction of the kitchen. His hand reached out toward the couch to steady himself when he leaned a little too much to his left. His breath smelled of alcohol, and there was vomit in the sink that he just wasn’t bothered to clean off. 

Or rather, he couldn’t. 

Inuyasha’s hand swept along the usually smooth surface of his countertop, feeling a light powder under the pads of his fingers, he stopped. Raising a hand up to his eyes, he focused on trying to get his vision to focus, but he was seeing double the amount of fingers he had up to his face. “What the fuck…” he cursed under his breath, words slurred from the amount of alcohol in his system. His doctor had advised him to keep away from drugs or alcohol for a few months following his accident, but he wasn’t going to. 

He never did. 

He’d tried it once, when he was 18 and just starting his career. He was shot after narrowly escaping from a drug exchange with his life. He was told to stay away from it, and he almost did...almost succeeded.

Until the withdrawal started to set in; he’d sweat profusely, and his body would be overcome with nausea and tremors. His heart raced and no matter what he did, he was always on _fucking_ edge. Irritated. Anxious. 

It’d taken him a month before he was back at the 7/11 near his _danchi_ apartment, where he used to live with Sesshomaru and his father, buying some whiskey and beer. 

He hadn’t been fully sober since. 

Sober wasn’t in his vocabulary. 

He brought the powder covered fingers up to his nose instead, taking a whiff of it because _fuck_ if he remembered what the hell it was. It wasn’t until the faint floral scent mixed with the scent of chemicals did he realize—or rather remember— what the white powder was. He had a vague memory of using it, followed by tremors and paranoia afterwards. He rubbed his fingers together, and dragged them down his black shirt before proceeding toward the cabinets. He knew exactly where to look, the cabinet’s placement was all too familiar to him. 

His hand trembled as it reached up toward the handle of the white cabinet, and he could barely remain on his feet as he pulled the cabinet open. It revealed bottles of alcohol, some half empty, some not started. Big, tall ones, short ones. Some of them were expensive, and some not. Tequila, whiskey, gin, cognac, jaeger. He kept the vodka in the very back of the freezer, covered by frozen meats, and vegetables. He tried his best to keep everything hidden, seeing as he now had a frequent visitor to his apartment. Sighing, he leaned back on his heels, forgetting momentarily that his balance was altered. 

He’d almost fallen back if it wasn’t for his hands shooting out, grabbing—just barely—onto the marble counter behind him. Inuyasha cursed silently under his breath, before squinting to choose which bottle he wanted to finish off, or start. His eyes squinted against the warm light that engulfed his kitchen area. Finally choosing, an unsteady hand reached toward the half empty bottle of whiskey; with some elbow grease, he managed to unscrew the top of it. 

He didn’t bother to reach for a glass, it wasn’t necessary. _I’ll just drink from the bottle._

He brought the bottle up to his lips, his sensitive nose catching the scent of it. The familiar, almost comforting smell of oak, and smoky undertones almost making his mouth salivate. With a deep breath, he took a swig of it, closing his eyes as the smooth alcohol coated his throat, encapsulating his taste buds. 

It was familiar. 

It was comforting. 

He could faintly hear the sound of his elevator ding, and the sound of footsteps coming in his direction but he was too inebriated to even attempt to turn to look. If he did, he’d probably fall on his ass, and that wasn’t something he was too willing to do right now. 

“Inuyasha.” 

It was a familiar voice, male. 

“Hm.” His own gruff voice vocalized in response, it was the only thing he could muster up at the moment. 

“You fucking drunk.” He heard the voice speak, louder this time, a bite of anger at the end of the statement. A hand was placed on his shoulder, yanking it backwards, causing him to turn forcefully in its direction. His eyes met indigo ones, and he smiled the only lopsided, drunken grin he could. But it faded once he noticed the grimace on the familiar face. His head dropped slowly as he watched, still with blurry vision, as the other hand reached for the bottle in his own hand, also yanking it out of his grasp. 

"Ugh!” Inuyasha groaned, looking up with angry eyes. The hand let go of his shoulder, and Miroku walked past him, all but throwing the bottle into the stainless steel sink. It shattered, his eyes watching at the fragmented glass jumped up slightly, before falling back down into the vomit covered sink. The smell of whiskey and vomit mixing, stirred Inuyasha’s insides. Unable to control whatever was threatening to crawl its way out of his mouth he stumbled forward, one hand on his stomach, while the other hand covered his mouth until he reached the sink. 

His body heaved, eyes squeezing shut as he emptied out his insides. Between retches, he made eye contact with Miroku who stood on the other side of the island counter. His palms pressed against the edge of the counter, his head hung as he took a deep, exhausted breath. 

He was _exhausted._

Suddenly, Miroku understood why Sesshomaru had so willingly left...because this...this was exhausting to a soulful degree. 

“It stinks in here.” Miroku said plainly, filling the short moment of silence between them before Inuyasha retched again. He grimaced inwardly. Miroku wrinkled his nose, pressing the edge of his index finger against it. “Can we crack a window or something?” He didn’t bother waiting around for an answer. He knew he wasn’t going to get one. Miroku had actually come to pay Inuyasha a visit, not because he wanted to check up on him (although, now that he came he was glad he did), but because he wanted answers in regards to his brother. 

He’d gone MIA, and nothing he did seemed to reach him in Japan. Miroku sent him messages on Facebook, Instagram, and twitter. He’d sent emails to both his personal and work email, as well as texted his american and japanese number. Both on Whatsapp and regular iMessage. 

He received nothing, it was radio silence. Which wouldn’t be as infuriating if he hadn’t known that Sesshomaru wasn’t going to be coming back for _god knows how fucking long._ Rolling his eyes at the pathetic state of his friend, he wandered off to the living room area, briefly staring at the large picture of Inuyasha’s first Sports Illustrated cover. It took up the space between one shelf on the bookshelf, and the other.

His arms were crossed, hands wrapped in lime green. His legs spread slightly apart in a confident stance, long silver hair held back in a red ribbon. His welterweight championship belt slung over his left shoulder, a crooked, confident grin on his face. Golden eyes glimmering. 

That wasn’t who he was anymore. 

Or at least… 

“Damn it.” Miroku cursed under his breath, trying to turn the crank to open the window. It didn’t budge for a few moments before it finally cracked open. He felt the cool breeze from the outside start to make its way in. He turned back toward the kitchen, Inuyasha still hung his head over the sink, palms planted firmly on either side of the sink. Miroku wanted to say something, _anything._ But his brain was drawing blanks and he was too frustrated to even try to think of anything smart to say. So he did the only thing he knew how to do when this happened. 

Miroku cleaned up. 

Without a word, Miroku walked back toward the kitchen, he gently pushed Inuyasha out of the way so he could access the cabinet under the sink from which he took out a trash bag. One by one, Miroku picked up every empty can of beer that he could find, gingerly picking them up between his index and thumb, dropping them into the bag as he walked around the apartment. And all Inuyasha could do was stare as Miroku picked up his messes once again. 

“Why...why do you do this?” Inuyasha croaked out, finally able to find his voice, his words still slurred, but Miroku could understand him just fine. His question prompted Miroku to glance in his direction, shooting him a look that both wanted to eradicate Inuyasha from the earth, while seeming to also offer pity. It made a low grumble start in Inuyasha’s chest. 

_Why do I do what? Clean up your messes?_

It was simple: there wasn’t much else Miroku could do to help. He could try to pressure rehab, but then he would run the risk of losing his greatest friend in the process. He could leave, but that would leave Inuyasha to his own devices, with no one but Sesshomaru to support him. He knew Inuyasha had his reasons, he had his own demons to deal with...so he let him. Miroku let him deal with his own issues however the hell Inuyasha wanted to because he knew that all he could _really_ do was be there for him at the end of it all, with a trash bag in hand, ready to pick everything up. 

It made him feel horrible, like an enabler. But when all other options weren’t as great… What else was he to do? 

“That's all I can do.” 

“All you can do?” Inuyasha cleared his throat, swallowing. The acidic aftertaste of the vomit making him feel as though he was going to hurl once more. 

“All I can do.” Miroku repeated, making his way back to the kitchen, he bent down to pick up pieces of broken glass when he felt his hand brush against a sort of graininess on the floor. He lifted his hand, and noticed the edge of his hand was dusted with white. He glanced up at Inuyasha who was trying to compose himself, and then back down at his hand. “Really?” He asked angrily. Inuyasha glanced over in his direction, and then groaned in response. “What the _fuck!”_ It started out as a whisper but ended in a holler, as he threw the bag off to the side, no longer interested in cleaning up his mess. 

“Don’t start this Miroku.” Inuyasha groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. “It’s an occasional thing.” 

_Sure, keep telling yourself that._

Miroku wasn’t one for violent tendencies unlike Inuyasha. He was usually calm and collected; Inuyasha’s voice of reason when everything else failed on him. But seeing Inuyasha in the state he was in, knotted hair, dark bags under his eyes, with red puffy eyes from crying, or vomiting...or both. His eyes bloodshot from lack of sleep, vomit on the side of his lip. 

Miroku was angry at himself more than anything for letting him do this to himself. He felt tears threatening to spill over, but he quickly wiped it away with the hem of his shirt. He took a deep shaky breath before speaking again. “You need help.” 

"No.” Inuyasha responded, his voice cracking. Miroku nodded his head quietly taking a step forward, Inuyasha took a step back. _Don’t fucking touch me._

“We’re getting you help.” Miroku answered, his voice losing its angry edge. It was silent after he said that, his words hanging suspended in the air, the sounds of the city filling the apartment from the open window. He stared at Inuyasha, who leaned against the cold glass of his refrigerator door. “Did you hear me?” 

Inuyasha stayed silent, before turning around, his back facing Miroku, his eyes taking in the blurry lights of New York City. “No.” He replied again, bringing his arms up, hugging himself. His ears flat against his head. 

“You can’t keep living like this.” Miroku told him, his voice barely above a whisper. “I’m tired.” 

“Then go.” Inuyasha snapped back, looking over his shoulder. “No one is keeping you here.” 

“ _You_ are keeping me here.” Miroku answered almost as soon as Inuyasha had finished his statement. “How much longer are you going to do this to yourself? To your career?” He walked over, closing the distance between them. He brought his hands up to Inuyasha’s shoulders and shook him, hard. He watched as Inuyasha, almost lifelessly, rocked back and forth, unphased by Miroku. “Why is everything so unbearable for you now?” 

Now? 

_Now?_

Things were unbearable for him as a kid. Things were unbearable for him as a teenager. He was thrusted into this career, no one really asked him if this is what he wanted, no one asked him if he was okay with this. Sure, it provided him an outlet for his anger and frustration with the shitshow that was his family life, and of course it gave him a way to get himself off the street. It’d given him money that he only _dreamed_ of touching as a kid. But between the charity claiming to see “talent” and Myoga constantly pushing him for 8 years...he was tired, even before he reached stardom. Stardom only added to it. That wasn’t to say he resented his career, he _loved_ fighting, and the adrenaline rush, the roar of the crowd. He loved the spotlight _after his fights._ He didn’t love the fact that it spilled over into his personal life. And every day more cameras, and more flashing lights and more magazines and brands and interviews and people wanted to get their grimey little hands on him. 

It was hard for him to fake a smile all the time. 

So he turned to drugs, and alcohol. Something that he could do in the safety of his own home, where there were no prying eyes, no cameras to follow him around, no expectations except the ones he set for himself. 

Which were laughably low. 

“Things always have been.” Inuyasha said softly, turning his head so he didn’t have to look at Miroku. Throwing up again had managed to sober him up lightly. 

“Why are they unbearable _now,_ though?” Miroku knew things were hard for Inuyasha then, when they were kids...when they were teenagers. He wasn’t blind to it. But things were different now. His life had taken a complete 180 and Miroku’s had too...so why were things still eating at him? 

Inuyasha couldn’t just _tell_ Miroku the mess that was his own mind. He couldn’t just tell him that more often than not he wished he was _fucking_ dead. He couldn’t look at his best friend in the eyes and tell him that it was hard to get out of bed most days. Doing basic things like brushing his teeth and taking a shower and putting on some clothes was hard, almost _painful._

_I just can’t._

Inuyasha wasn’t going to add more to what Miroku had to worry about, which he recognized was much more than he should have on his plate. 

So he shrugged instead. 

“I don’t know…” 

“We’re getting you help.” Miroku repeated, his hands still placed over Inuyasha’s shoulders. One hand moved to the side of his neck. Inuyasha could see, feel, the worry in his eyes. “We’re cancelling the rest of your fights this year.” 

“ ** _NO!_ **” Miroku would’ve been taken aback if it wasn’t for Inuyasha having a habit of doing this, objecting to everything that was for his greater good. He sighed, removing his hands from Inuyasha, running a hand through his own hair. 

“Yes.” Miroku responded. 

“No.” Inuyasha stood his ground, the panic he felt growing in his chest causing him to sober up.

“You won’t be taking any losses.” Miroku explained, “This isn’t your only income.” 

“I know. I have multiple sources.” Inuyasha said in response. “I’m not taking a hiatus.” 

“You are.” Miroku shot back, and Inuyasha had to restrain himself from grabbing him by the collar of his shirt. Work was one of the one things that helped him keep his sanity, he would be damned if he couldn’t do that for the rest of the year. 

“Vermont.” Inuyasha replied, and Miroku looked at him with a puzzled look. When realization hit, Miroku sighed in response, tugging on his earlobe as he always did when he was annoyed or frustrated. 

“No.” 

“Vermont.” Inuyasha said again, “One month. I’ll be back in the last week of July.” He crossed his arms defiantly. “That’s as much a hiatus as you’ll get out of me, Miroku.” Miroku sighed in response. He knew Inuyasha had a habit of throwing himself into training. He’d already scheduled to spend the next month leading up to his fight against Koga training at the UFC facility in Las Vegas. He bit his bottom lip as he tried to make a decision. He didn’t want Inuyasha out of his sight, at least in Las Vegas he had other fighters keeping an eye on him and he was expected to conduct himself in a certain way. 

But in Vermont… 

He was supposed to go to Vermont at some point that summer, for two weeks, as they had discussed months prior, anyway. 

“Take Kagome with you.” 

“ _What?_ ” 

The property he owned in Vermont was meant to be an escape, an oasis. He wasn’t going to bring Kagome with him. She was going to be a disruption to this hiatus. 

“I want to keep an eye out on you in Vermont but I can’t join you, I have other business to attend to here; yours, mainly.” Miroku replied, folding his arms across his chest. “So take her, for my peace of mind at least.” 

“Fuck no.” 

“Inuyasha—” 

“This is supposed to be a hiatus for me, right?” 

Silence. 

“ ** _Right?_ **” Inuyasha pressed. 

“You’re taking her.” Miroku said, “You can take my girlfriend too, to keep Kagome distracted if it helps you not want to kill her.” 

“I’m not hauling Kagome, Sango, _and_ Myoga with me to Vermont.” 

“Myoga?” Miroku asked, blinking hard, “Myoga?” 

“I have a fight in a month and a half, I’m not just going to fucking relax for a month right before it. And it’s against Koga. I have to figure out my strategy. I’m not letting that bitchass wolf win.” Inuyasha replied, and Miroku quickly realized that Inuyasha had a point. 

“Okay fine...don’t take Sango.” _I have some issues to work out with her, anyways._ “But you’re taking Kagome. Lord knows you guys need to work your shit out.” 

Inuyasha turned, heading back into the kitchen, no longer able to support the smell of his own vomit marinating in his kitchen sink. He turned on the hot water, and let it run over the bottom of his sink. He swished his hand around in the stream of water periodically to get it to hit the sides of the sink. He let the words Miroku said sit in his mind for a little, before he glanced over in his direction. His eyes burning slightly, as he was suddenly hit with a wave of exhaustion. “I can leave in two days.” 

“Taking Kagome?” Miroku asked, sticking his tongue into the side of his cheek waiting for a response. He watched as Inuyasha dropped his head, irritated. His ears doing that familiar, rapid twitch they do when he’s annoyed. 

“...She won’t agree.” He glanced over in Miroku’s direction, clearing his throat before he spoke again. “She has a day job, you know. Helping Sango with thor business, it’s hard enough for her as is.” 

He remembered what she’d said at the museum. 

_“I pressured him into it. I was getting tired of constantly going to events and dinners and...mentally and physically exhausting events. I work all day before most of them, so it’s like double exhaustion. I wanted to take it easy for once...have a slow day.”_

_“So you suggested spending the day walking around the museum?” Inuyasha questioned, a black eyebrow raised before he rolled his eyes, huffing. “Okay then, if it makes sense to you who am I to tell you it doesn’t.”_

_“It’s better than spending the night at some loud club, or social event after a day at work.” Kagome argued, and Inuyasha could accept that it was a valid point._

“She will. Sango is supportive of this.” Miroku said, pulling his phone out of the pocket of his shorts. “I can text her right now.” 

“It’s late.” 

“It’s only 10:30.” 

“It’s not that simple for these girls, Miroku. It’s their business we’re messing with.” Inuyasha replied, getting annoyed as he moved slowly toward his refrigerator, taking out a bottle of water.

“What’s with all the sudden consideration?” Miroku questioned, quirking an eyebrow at Inuyasha. “And we aren’t messing with their business, we’re adding to it. We’re getting them extra revenue. Which means more sales, which means more money. If anything, you and Kagome disappearing on a trip, would probably help their sales. Have you even stepped foot in there in the recent months? You can’t, it’s always packed. They got that teenager working there almost every single day now. Their business is _fine._ ” 

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. Of course it would be. 

“Think about it.” Miroku said, and Inuyasha, surprisingly, answered quickly. 

“Would it help you feel better if Kagome went with me?” He asked, turning to look at Miroku. 

Of course it would help Miroku feel better. _Of course it would!_ He didn’t feel okay letting his friend, who was obviously not doing well, go to the countryside in another state for a _month_ without him. It almost felt irresponsible of him to _not_ go. But he needed to fix what was going wrong in his relationship, and also answer back to that negotiation he was working on a few days ago during Inuyasha’s interview. 

Which reminded him. 

“Have you spoken to your brother?” The answer, he felt, was obviously going to be a resounding no. Which was only confirmed by the empty laughter that rocked Inuyasha’s body. 

“Haven’t spoken to him in a good...month or so.” Inuyasha replied, and Miroku sighed. “What? Jaken not doing a good enough job with my shit?” 

_This is exactly why I need Sess back,_ Miroku thought to himself. “No, it’s not that it’s just...I trusted Sesshomaru more with your stuff.” Miroku said. “He communicated with you more, didn’t he? He kept a clear line of communication. Do you even know he’s in Japan?” Inuyasha shrugged in response. 

He didn’t care much about his brother’s whereabouts, it didn’t affect him. Their relationship was done, dead, gone. He wasn’t going to apologize or hire him back, and Sesshomaru was never going to stop making Inuyasha feel like shit every chance he got. The most supportive thing Sesshomaru ever did for him was go to his fights, and even then they sometimes argued. He waved his hand dismissively, signifying the end of that topic of conversation. Inuyasha decided to bring the conversation back to Kagome. “So..when are you going to text her about this?” 

“Tonight. Right now, if you want?” Miroku asked, holding up his phone in his hand. “Simple yes or no.” 

“It’s not that simple.” 

“For you, I mean.” Miroku clarified, raising his voice slightly. “Simple yes or no. Yes, and that means you get that compromise with me. No, and it means you get the rest of the year off instead of just the one month.” After a few seconds he added, “so, do you hate her that much?” 

_Do you hate her that much?_

The answer was...he wasn’t sure. There were aspects of her that he found charming. Like her humor, and how intelligent she was. The grace with which she handled herself in front of cameras and how quickly she could catch on to the lies he would spin about them for the media. But by the same token, he couldn’t stand how pretentious she could be. He couldn’t stand how she always seemed to take things one step further, he couldn’t stand how easy she was to anger (though, to be fair, he was equally as easy to anger). He found it hard to finish one date with her, seeing as their personalities clashed so much. He couldn’t imagine what spending an entire month, from day to night, in the same vicinity as her would do to him. 

_Do I hate her enough to give up the whole_ **_year_ ** _?_

Fuck no. 

“Text her.” 

Miroku took a second to look at Inuyasha. _Really_ look at him. The area under his eyes that was discolored, and slightly puffy. The dark circles that surrounded them, were a tell tale sign of perpetual lack of sleep. Miroku wondered how long it’s been since he’d slept longer than an hour, if at all. His eyes, which in the past seemed to always have mischief dancing in them, were now dull, and tired in comparison. He realized that it wasn’t just now that they lost their flair. His hair, always perfectly kempt, was knotted and matted, particularly the area behind his ears and between them. Some strands near his face had remnants of his vomit, others were stained by dried blood. He smelled of alcohol and sweat, and if _at all_ possible, bad decisions. 

“I love you.” Miroku said, still staring at Inuyasha. Inuyasha paused in his movements, the one hand that was holding his water bottle, suspended in the air over the counter. He contorted his face into one of thinly veiled disbelief. “You’re my brother, Inu. You know that, right? You’re family to me.” 

“I know, Miroku.” Inuyasha responded, “I love you too.” 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
